“She punched, punched and scratched me while I was holding my children after we broke up”: Men’s experience of post-separation domestic abuse

Bates, Elizabeth ORCID logo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8694-8078 , Taylor, Julie ORCID logo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4113-3857 , Hope, Katie and Smith, Jade (2024) “She punched, punched and scratched me while I was holding my children after we broke up”: Men’s experience of post-separation domestic abuse. Partner Abuse . Item availability may be restricted.

[thumbnail of Post separation paper 2024 final.pdf] PDF - Accepted Version
Restricted to Repository staff only until 1 August 2025.
Available under License CC BY-NC-ND

Download (374kB) | Contact the author
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1891/PA-2023-0025

Abstract

There is a paucity of literature relating to male victims of intimate partner violence and their experiences post separation. This study explored men’s experiences of abuse after the end of a relationship using an anonymous online survey distributed via social media. The survey included questions of a demographic nature followed by a series of open-ended questions. A hundred and thirty men aged between 18 and 68 years participated. All participants were reporting on their experiences within opposite sex relationships. A thematic analysis identified four master themes (pre-separation abuse, post-separation abuse, abuse impact and help-seeking). The analysis revealed significant experiences of abuse occurring pre-separation, followed by accounts of post-separation abuse and the challenges men faced in terms of help seeking. The collection of pre-separation data helped to situate the post-separation experiences in the wider context of an existing abusive relationship and illustrated the impact of this across a range of experiential domains. We conclude that men’s experiences of physical abuse as well as coercive and controlling behaviour that exist pre-separation often continue post-separation, albeit changing and escalating through different mechanisms. Suggestions for future research and recommendations for practice have been identified.

Item Type: Article
Journal / Publication Title: Partner Abuse
Publisher: Springer
ISSN: 1946-6579
Departments: Institute of Health > Psychology and Psychological Therapies
Depositing User: Elizabeth Bates
Date Deposited: 16 May 2024 12:02
Last Modified: 07 Sep 2024 21:04
URI: https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/7677
Edit Item