Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime in Northern Ireland, Geraldine Hanna.
A major new review has laid bare for the first time the lack of detailed study and understanding of intimate partner violence (IPV) against men and boys and the impact on their mental health in Northern Ireland.
Commissioned by the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime in Northern Ireland, the rapid review was conducted by Dr Emily McGlinchey, Dr Eric Spikol and Professor Chérie Armour from Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Psychology and Stress Trauma and Related Conditions Research Centre (STARC).
The piece of research involved examining 67 global studies of IPV experience and mental health outcomes. However, evidence for the UK is scarce and inconsistent, meaning there is a lack of data to help public sector agencies design services as best they can to support male victims of IPV.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as any act of “physical violence, sexual violence, stalking and psychological aggression (including coercive tactics) by a current or former intimate partner.”
The report identifies six recommended research priorities which include:
Addressing the dearth of research in Northern Ireland, and the UK more broadly, concerning males IPV experiences and mental health outcomes.
Identifying the true extent and range of IPV experiences among males in NI.
Identifying the mental health impacts of IPV experiences among men and boys in NI.
Increasing understanding on suicidality as an outcome for males who have experienced IPV.
Identifying if IPV experiences and mental health outcomes differ by subgroups and if certain sub-populations of males at a greater risk.
Understanding stigma and perceptions of IPV among men and boys in NI.
Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime in Northern Ireland Geraldine Hanna said:
“This report is a welcome first stepping stone as we move towards a wider and broader understanding of intimate partner violence against men and boys in Northern Ireland and the impact it can have on their mental health. Sadly and concerningly, there is a real dearth of empirical data and understanding about IPV against males in Northern Ireland. Without a proper understanding of the scale, extent and impact of the issue, we cannot accurately deliver and design supports or services appropriately.
“The issue of IPV among men and boys remains understudied and poorly understood, as this report by Queen’s University Belfast has shown. Of the 67 studies which were included in this review, only 8 were UK based and none were conducted within NI. Without a solid evidence base to interrogate these issues, we don’t know with any certainty if current service provision meets the reality of the support needs.
“If we are serious about supporting male victims of IPV and designing services which accurately and appropriately support men and boys, a strong and reliable evidence base is a crucial first step in achieving this. This includes obtaining an understanding of the wide range of mental health impacts which are associated with victims of IPV, understanding perceptions and stigma associated with IPV, and how IPV affects different groups of men in different ways.”
Dr Emily McGlinchey, Research Centre for Stress, Trauma, & Related Conditions, Queen’s University Belfast, added:
“This study from the School of Psychology and Stress Trauma and Related Conditions Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast is a timely and significant piece of work. Our research has found that the available evidence on IPV among males in the UK, and especially in Northern Ireland, is scarce and inconsistent. Without a strong evidence base, we know very little about the extent to which males experience IPV, what those experiences look like, and consequently what the mental health impacts are.
“We hope that this report will act as a call to action for all stakeholders involved in the victims sector to coalesce their efforts to understand the extent and nature of IPV more fully among males and will be the first step towards creating and designing services which are adequately matched to the reality of the need.”