Intimate Partner Violence: A Study of the Lived Experiences of Battered Husbands

Abstract

Men are stereotypically perceived as brave, dominant, and assertive individuals. Whereas, women are typically nurturing, loving, and submissive beings. Based on numerous published researches, men are perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) while women are the victims of abuse. Through the changing times and circumstances however, the society itself became more diverse and some changes on the norms have transpired as battered husbands existed. Due to stigma, men as victims are generally unrecognized in data and statistical reports. This study is an attempt to find a clear view regarding battered husbands to fill the gaps in understanding of the causes and consequences of battering against them by their partners. Ultimately, apart from describing and exploring their experiences, it is the intention of the study to make the society fully aware of the informants’ situation by shedding light and give meaning to the experiences. This study used a descriptive phenomenology approach. There were ten informants gathered in the Province of Tarlac, Philippines through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. It utilized a semi-structured questionnaire and an audio-recorder for the data collection. Data pertinent to the study were obtained by a face to face interview. Furthermore, data collated were treated with the utmost confidentiality in which Colaizzi’s method was applied as data analysis. The findings revealed that husbands’ engagement to vices and illicit affairs, stealing money, and inability to fulfill their duties and obligations triggered the battery. Their experiences of being in a battering relationship were traumatic and hurt their personal, social, and work life. The informants shared that being in a domestic violent relationship has caused them a lot of challenges for they have been physically, verbally, and emotionally abused. Battered husbands cope with the effects and challenges of their experiences through the help of different sources of support and other mechanisms. The informants’ way of coping from their predicament is described as adaptive and maladaptive coping. In terms of the perceived meaning of their life, they developed a positive and negative image. The findings have implications deemed significant for the betterment and enhancement of policies and regulations involving gender equality, social services provided by mental health professionals, and maintaining a healthy family relationship.