Coping with multiple adversities: Men who sought medico-legal care because of physical violence from a partner or ex-partner.

摘要

Objectives: To describe male victims of physical violence by an intimate partner who consulted a medico-legal unit, and information available on their perpetrators; to characterize the violent events and their contexts. Little research exists on male victims of physical intimate partner violence seeking medical care. Method: Based on Heise’s ecological framework, mixed methods were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data collected during 122 medico-legal consultations attended by 115 men who sustained physical violence by an intimate partner from 2006–2012. Results: Quantitative and quantitative data collected from male victims concurred in showing that many of such victims, as well as their partners, faced at the time of the assault multiple adversities and challenges at individual and relationship levels. Among male victims, 26% had no paid job. Among perpetrators, 34% were third-country nationals subject to restricted residence permits. Health issues, worries about money or work combined with complex and conflictive family situations were often in the background of violent events. In a few cases, however, male victims reported no other problems than their partner’s assault. Conclusions: Our findings point out gender-specific aspects of female-to-male physical partner violence. The most common feature is that violence was experienced as one among several adversities. Even though wounds sustained by male victims were not necessarily severe, their emotional suffering was frequent. When underage children were involved, their situation was particularly noteworthy. Interventions with male victims of intimate partner violence should include protection of minors as a priority and as an incentive for fathers to seek help.