Survivors' stories: experiences of female perpetrated intimate partner abuse and help-seeking for mid-life and older male survivors

Objectives: The lack of literature to explore older men who have survived female-perpetrated intimate partner abuse raises concerns about how males seek support or when presenting with injuries/psychological distress; where do they go to access support, and what services are available to them? Current knowledge and practice to support survivors of intimate partner abuse is heavily focused on a feminist discourse, which is not inclusive to males seeking help. Furthermore, the research that is available lacks a qualitative focus. Therefore, the study focuses on hearing the voices of those hidden survivors: mid-life and older males, to identify how services and individuals can respond to ensure their needs are met.
Design/ method: A narrative approach was implemented throughout the data collection to ensure the survivors’ voices were central throughout the research. Interviews with mid-life to older aged men were conducted. Riessman’s (2008) narrative analysis was carried to establish the various personal constructions of IPA and help-seeking experienced by this cohort of males.
Results/ Conclusions: The results of the study will provide a new source of information about a forgotten group of domestic violence survivors and the findings will help to educate key stakeholders and policy makers on how to most appropriately support mid-life to older males who are experiencing intimate partner abuse.