Research project The project examines how Social Services’ help and support for male victims of Domestic Violence (DV) is influenced by male victims’ conditions and needs, professionals’ attitudes and ways of working with DV, and organizational conditions within the Social Services. The project can contribute to knowledge about conditions and processes that are important for social services' efforts towards male victims.
The research is about investigating social services’ help and support for male victims of Domestic Violence (DV). In a project with three sub-studies, the following are studied: the needs and conditions of male victims, the attitudes and working methods of social service personnel, the organizational conditions of social services, and what this all means for help and support for male victims of DV. The research is carried out in three municipalities and the project uses different methods and materials: 1) statistical analysis of national follow-up data on violence in intimate relationships, 2) interviews with male victims of violence, 3) focus group interviews with social service personnel.
It is important to study this because almost seven percent of all men experience intimate partner violence each year. Despite that, male victims are rarely noticed, neither in social services nor in research. This means that male victims often avoid seeking help. There is a lack of scientific knowledge about different groups of male victims of DV and their need for support and help, how social service personnel work with male victims, and how organizational conditions of social services affect support efforts.
The new knowledge is important because it contributes to understanding and explaining central conditions and processes that are vital for the social services’ interventions for men exposed to violence. New knowledge can thereby form the basis for developed interventions and working methods within social services, as well as provide conditions for better quality and equality in help and support for male victims of DV.
