External Barriers to Help-Seeking Encountered by Canadian Gay and Lesbian Victims of Intimate Partner Abuse: An Application of The Barriers Model

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 536-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa St. Pierre ◽  
Charlene Y. Senn
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Role Expectations ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Gay And Lesbian ◽  
Family Socialization ◽  
Lesbian Relationships ◽  
The Past

While understanding of intimate partner abuse (IPA) in gay and lesbian relationships has increased within the past decade, there remain several gaps in the help-seeking research. In particular, research examining the external barriers to help-seeking encountered by gay and lesbian victims of IPA has been largely atheoretical. To address this gap, an application of The Barriers Model was undertaken. This mixed-methods study surveyed 280 gay, lesbian, and/or queer participants living in Canada. Findings revealed that victims encountered external barriers in the environment (i.e., Layer 1 of the model), such as lack of availability of gay and lesbian specific services. Results also suggested that barriers due to family/socialization/role expectations (i.e., Layer 2 of the model), such as concealment of sexual orientation, had an impact on help-seeking.

How Valid is the Question of Fear of a Partner in Identifying Intimate Partner Abuse? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Four Studies

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052093443
Author(s):  
Marcos Signorelli ◽  
Angela Taft ◽  
Deirdre Gartland ◽  
Leesa Hooker ◽  
Christine McKee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Intimate Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Receiver Operating Curve ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Past

Intimate partner abuse (IPA) affects women’s health, requiring accurate questions to identify the abuse. We investigated the accuracy of three questions about fear of an intimate partner in identifying exposure to IPA. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of these questions with the Composite Abuse Scale (CAS) using secondary data analysis of four existing studies. All studies recruited adult women from clinical settings, with sample sizes ranging from 1,257 to 5,871. We examined associations between demographic factors and fear through multivariate logistic regression, and analysis of the sensitivity and specificity of the questions about fear and IPA (CAS), generating a receiver operating curve (ROC). The prevalence of lifetime fear of a partner ranged from 9.5% to 26.7%; 14.0% of women reported fear in the past 12 months; and current fear ranged from 1.3% to 3.3%. Comparing the three questions, the question “afraid of a partner in the past 12 months” was considered the best question to identify IPA. This question had the greatest area under the ROC (0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.78–0.81]) compared with “are you currently afraid” (range 0.57–0.61) or “have you ever been afraid” (range 0.66–0.77); and demonstrated better sensitivity (64.8%) and specificity (94.8%). Demographic factors associated with “fear of a partner in the past 12 months” included being divorced/separated (odds ratio [OR] = 8.49, 95% CI = [6.70–10.76]); having a low income (OR = 4.21, 95% CI = [3.46–5.13]); and having less than 12 years of education (OR = 2.48, 95% CI = [2.04–3.02]). The question “In the last 12 months did you ever feel frightened by what your partner says or does?” has potential to identify a majority of women experiencing IPA, supporting its utilization where more comprehensive measures are not possible.

Exploring Mexican-Origin Intimate Partner Abuse Survivors’ Help-Seeking Within Their Sociocultural Contexts

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 817-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalina M. Brabeck ◽  
Michele R. Guzmán
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Family Cohesion ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Mexican Origin ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles ◽  
Cultural Variables ◽  
Sociocultural Contexts

Women’s responses to partner abuse are shaped by their particular sociocultural contexts. In this study, quantitative data were collected from 75 Mexican-origin women who survived intimate partner abuse, to identify variables associated with help-seeking to survive relationship abuse. Help-seeking was defined as use of formal (e.g., shelter) and informal (e.g., family) sources. Variables included two cultural variables: machismo (i.e., adherence to traditional gender roles) and familismo (i.e., valuing family cohesion and reciprocity), and four sociostructural variables: income, education, English proficiency, and immigrant status. Results indicated participants with higher levels of familismo sought informal help more frequently than those with lower levels. Women with grade school education, no English proficiency, and undocumented status sought formal help less frequently than those not constrained by these barriers.

scholarly journals Exploring Male Students’ Lived Experiences of Intimate Partner Abuse from a Female Partner and Help-seeking

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jakob Scotts-Bahle
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Abusive Relationship ◽  
The Relationship

<p>This research investigated how male university students who have experienced abuse from a female intimate partner made sense of this abuse and their help seeking experiences. Students who indicated having experienced some form of Intimate Partner Abuse (IPA) were identified through a screening questionnaire and invited to take part in this study. In-depth interviews with seven students were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. This analysis identified two themes related to the men’s experiences of IPA and help seeking. The first theme of stuck in the abusive relationship comprised four subthemes, each representing a barrier the men faced which kept them in an abusive relationship and prevented them from acting to end the abuse or from seeking help. These barriers were 1) the emotional investment the men had in the relationship, 2) living in an all-encompassing controlling environment, 3) their sense of responsibility to shoulder the burdens of the relationship, and 4) their understanding of abuse in relationships. The second theme moving on from the abuse described the process of overcoming and moving past these experiences. It comprised three subthemes: 1) how the men overcame the barriers and began moving on, 2) the slow process of supported recovery and learning, and 3) the existence of ongoing impacts related to the abuse. These findings add to the growing body of literature on IPA which has found that men can be the victims of abuse which can be serious, have lasting impacts, and for which they have difficulty seeking and receiving help. The need for policies and services which can overcome the barriers men face and that address their needs are discussed. This is the first qualitative research looking at men’s IPA victimisation with a student sample and future research is needed which looks at this phenomenon with students across countries and cultural groups and in relationships in which IPA was bidirectional.</p>

scholarly journals “No blood, no foul”?: How invalidating responses to non-physical intimate partner abuse imperils victims

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Nathan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Popular Discourse ◽  
The Impact

In Australian legislation and policy, definitions of intimate partner abuse acknowledge that it is an ongoing pattern employed by a perpetrator in order to gain or maintain control, foster dependency, and erode the self-worth of the victim and can include behaviours that are physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological in nature. However, societal responses – from service providers, and friends and family – to help seeker’s disclosures of non-physical abuse are indicative of much narrower understandings. This thesis draws on qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews with nine survivors of non-physical abuse to examine how responses to help seeking efforts influence stay/leave decision-making. Constructivist grounded theory was used in the analysis of responses from which two categories emerged – invalidating and validating. Invalidating responses inhibited further help seeking and prolonged exposure to abuse. Validating responses prompted efforts to alleviate or leave abuse. Drawing on the thesis findings, the discussion and analysis centre on better understanding the social foundations of decision-making and responses. These include: the reasons responses are so influential in the decision-making process, why responses are often incongruent with current policy and practice guidelines, conceptions of abuse in popular discourse, and the impact of social norms and popular discourse on non-help seeking behaviours. Following from this, some of the measures that might be employed to change societal responses to intimate partner abuse are discussed. The current study found that responses to participant’s help seeking efforts were influential in their decisions to stay in, or leave the relationship. The findings indicate that responses to help-seeking efforts are derived from public perceptions of, and attitudes to, intimate partner abuse. Poor understandings can result in poor responses, which can ultimately put the victim at risk. The current societal focus on physical manifestations of abuse belies the complexity of the problem and is detrimental to efforts to address intimate partner abuse. Improved awareness and acknowledgment of the impact of non-physical intimate partner abuse is therefore critical to domestic violence reduction and intervention.

Intimate partner abuse among Rohingya in Malaysia: assessing stressors, mental health, social norms and help-seeking to inform interventions

Intervention ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Welton-Mitchell ◽  
NoorArifah Bujang ◽  
Hasnah Hussin ◽  
Sharifah Husein ◽  
Fajar Santoadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner

Disclosure of victimization experiences of Chinese male survivors of intimate partner abuse

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 744-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chan TM Simon ◽  
Tsang WH Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Intimate Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Helping Professionals ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Male Survivors ◽  
The Individual

Male victimization in intimate partner abuse situations has long been a neglected phenomenon in academic research and is rarely mentioned in social service provision. The abused male is often absent from the overall picture, such that intimate partner abuse against males remains an invisible occurrence. This is in part due to the reluctance of society to support them, because men are culturally perceived to be masculine and strong. The factors that facilitate or prevent their disclosure are worthy of study because in doing so, could provide a better understanding of how their help-seeking behavior contributes to service planning for both men and women in conflict. This study, therefore, focuses on the individual, organizational and cultural factors that facilitate or prevent the disclosure of intimate partner abuse when experienced by men in a Chinese context. Three general areas have been identified from a literature review: namely, the attribution of the victimization experiences, professional encounters, and cultural conception of masculinity. Eight male survivors have voluntarily participated and recruited through purposive snowball sampling. In-depth interviews are used to obtain the qualitative data. After conducting a thematic analysis, six themes are identified, which are: the perceived uniqueness of the victimization; perceived severity of the victimization; perceived sincerity of the helping professionals; professional actions; ‘macho competence’; and ‘macho protection.’ In conclusion, suggestions are made on how the study findings contribute to developing gender sensitive practices for helping professionals, especially social workers and counsellors, when they work with male survivors of intimate partner abuse.

scholarly journals Exploring Male Students’ Lived Experiences of Intimate Partner Abuse from a Female Partner and Help-seeking

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jakob Scotts-Bahle
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Abusive Relationship ◽  
The Relationship

<p>This research investigated how male university students who have experienced abuse from a female intimate partner made sense of this abuse and their help seeking experiences. Students who indicated having experienced some form of Intimate Partner Abuse (IPA) were identified through a screening questionnaire and invited to take part in this study. In-depth interviews with seven students were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. This analysis identified two themes related to the men’s experiences of IPA and help seeking. The first theme of stuck in the abusive relationship comprised four subthemes, each representing a barrier the men faced which kept them in an abusive relationship and prevented them from acting to end the abuse or from seeking help. These barriers were 1) the emotional investment the men had in the relationship, 2) living in an all-encompassing controlling environment, 3) their sense of responsibility to shoulder the burdens of the relationship, and 4) their understanding of abuse in relationships. The second theme moving on from the abuse described the process of overcoming and moving past these experiences. It comprised three subthemes: 1) how the men overcame the barriers and began moving on, 2) the slow process of supported recovery and learning, and 3) the existence of ongoing impacts related to the abuse. These findings add to the growing body of literature on IPA which has found that men can be the victims of abuse which can be serious, have lasting impacts, and for which they have difficulty seeking and receiving help. The need for policies and services which can overcome the barriers men face and that address their needs are discussed. This is the first qualitative research looking at men’s IPA victimisation with a student sample and future research is needed which looks at this phenomenon with students across countries and cultural groups and in relationships in which IPA was bidirectional.</p>

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