University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
J Interpers Violence. 2022 Aug;37(15-16):NP13067-NP13091. doi: 10.1177/08862605211001476. Epub 2021 Mar 23.
Intimate partner abuse (IPA) carries severe physical and psychological consequences for victims, and the police and courts are some of the essential formal structures that help victims address their victimization. Studies suggest that male victims of IPA are reluctant to speak about or report their victimization to the police. This qualitative study examines the experiences male victims of IPA had with the criminal justice system (i.e., the courts and police). We conducted interviews with 16 men who had experienced IPA in their previous relationship in Canada. Two major themes about the police response were identified: the barriers to contacting the police for help and negative experiences with the police response. We found that men who chose not to contact the police did it due to the negative expectations of being ridiculed by the police, not being believed, and fear of being arrested. Those men who called the police for help reported unfriendly and antagonistic police treatment and the police's reluctance to charge abusive female partners. The themes that reflected the male victims' interactions with the court pointed to: (1) legal and administrative abuse by female partners, including false accusations and manipulations of child custody, and (2) a general bias against men in the courtroom. This study brings attention to the need for law enforcement officers to be aware of the experiences and perceptions male victims have of the criminal justice system and the need for the criminal justice system to create more inclusive strategies to help male victims of IPA.
亲密伴侣虐待 (IPA) 会给受害者带来严重的身体和心理后果，警察和法庭是帮助受害者解决受害问题的一些重要正式机构。研究表明，IPA 的男性受害者不愿意谈论或向警方报告他们的受害情况。这项定性研究考察了 IPA 男性受害者在刑事司法系统（即法院和警方）中的经历。我们对 16 名在加拿大之前的关系中经历过 IPA 的男性进行了采访。确定了两个关于警方反应的主要主题：联系警方寻求帮助的障碍和对警方反应的负面体验。我们发现，那些选择不与警方联系的男性这样做是因为他们对被警方嘲笑、不被信任和害怕被捕的负面预期。那些打电话求助的男性报告说警方的态度不友好且敌对，警方不愿意指控虐待女性伴侣。反映男性受害者与法庭互动的主题包括：（1）女性伴侣的法律和行政滥用，包括虚假指控和操纵子女监护权，以及（2）法庭对男性的普遍偏见。这项研究提请人们注意执法人员需要意识到男性受害者对刑事司法系统的体验和看法，以及刑事司法系统需要制定更具包容性的策略来帮助 IPA 的男性受害者。
