An investigation into narrative identities of male victims of Domestic Violence

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In approximately one third of incidents of intimate partner violence (IPV) the victim is male. Although acknowledged in government statistics, current policy and provision all but ignores this. A focus on female victims, in both research and policy, has consistently cast males as the perpetrator, and inhibited the acknowledgement of male victim-hood. This has in turn restricted provision of support for the significant portion of victims that they make up. Narrative identity theory proposes that the biographical stories individuals construct from their lived experiences are integral to the formation of identity. Research indicates the way these stories are told and how they are received is critical to how they are internalised and understood by the individual. Research has also shown correlations between certain narrative forms and mental health outcomes. The lack of opportunity for male victims to voice their stories, caused not only by a social dialogue that ignores their existence, but also by perceptions of masculinity that do not allow for victimhood, means the formation of a narrative identity is potentially constricted, even denied to male victims, in turn impacting upon their potential mental health and wellbeing. Because of the sensitive and deeply personal nature of the subject, this piece of research proposes a methodology of open narrative interview and analysis to gain insight into the lived reality of male victims of IPV. How participants construct their narrative identity and the themes and positions they take in telling their narrative, may inform greater understanding of the subjective realities of male victim-hood. In turn this will inform future work with survivors and victims and contribute to a greater, more proportionate, acknowledgement of their existence within policy and provision.