[W]ork to investigate incidents of abuse against men by female partners has been completed with the author of the investigation concluding she’s viewed only the tip of the iceberg.
Dr Liz Bates senior lecturer in applied psychology at the University of Cumbria began work earlier this year by looking to speak to men about their experiences. 161 men completed a questionnaire leading to 14 follow-up interviews conducted by Dr Bates.
“The work revealed cases of verbal, physical and sexual aggression was commonplace among those who responded,” Dr Bates said. ”What’s more, we found that the abuse continued even after the relationship broke up and that false allegations and manipulation of children continued long after the relationship break down.”
The research will be presented at the annual conference of the domestic violence charity Mankind (Nov 21) http://new.mankind.org.uk/conference/
It’s hoped the work will be published in the future and that more detailed investigations will be carried out. The work has shown that female victims of domestic violence are far more likely to be given help and support than men.
“We found there are barriers when it comes to looking for help with the existing system biased against men,” Dr Bates added. “More work may well show how a fairer system can be developed to help tackle this hidden issue.”
Twenty Voices is based on the work of Dr Elizabeth Bates from the University of Cumbria. All the voices included are those of male volunteers at the University of Cumbria who are reading out the actual and authentic comments provided by those men responding to the survey.
Professor Bates’ work saw 161 men respond to a questionnaire and prompted 14 follow-up interviews.
