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Domestic Abuse Against Men in Scotland
INTRODUCTION
The debate about men's victimisation by partners is one that undergoes periodic revivals of interest. These revivals occur as new commentators discover - and sometimes exaggerate - the limitations of existing research about domestic abuse and the interpretive task this research presents to those who engage with it. For simplicity, the controversy about male victims of domestic abuse can be organised around the following five themes:
- The extent to which men and women are 'equal victims' of domestic abuse. Do male victims endure the same abuses as women, as frequently and with the same consequences?
- The extent to which recorded crime statistics accurately reflect different rates of abuse - for men and women, as well as gay men and straight men - as opposed to differential treatment by criminal justice agencies.
- The extent to which women's violence towards male partners constitutes a reaction to the experience of prior or continuing abuse. Are women's assaults on men typically defensive and reactionary responses to anticipated threats and/or the experience of cumulative provocation?
- The level and nature of abuse in gay men's relationships, and concomitantly the extent to which 'domestic abuse' is connected to cultural constructions of masculinity and heterosexuality.
- The implications of evidence of men's victimisation for service providers. Is there a need for specialist services for male victims of domestic abuse? Are male victims' needs quantitatively and qualitatively the same as the needs of female victims?
This report documents research that aimed to examine the various positions in this controversy, focussing especially on the evidence available in Scotland.
Structure of the Report
Our answers to these questions are structured as follows:
- Chapter One provides an overview of the predominantly British and US literature on this topic, outlining the key perspectives and research studies that inform it.
- Chapter Two provides an analysis of the statistical data that details the incidents of domestic abuse that came to the Scottish Police's attention between April 1999 and December 2000.
- Chapter Three summarises the findings of the Scottish Crime Survey 2000 regarding domestic abuse, adding our own additional analysis of the differences between male and female victims and the general population, in terms of their health, income and marital status.
- Chapter Four documents our endeavours to trace and re-interview a sample of those men who disclosed experiences of threats or force by a partner in the Scottish Crime Survey 2000. This chapter progresses to analyse the narrative accounts provided to us by 22 men who had been abused by their partners.
- Chapter Five documents the findings of the telephone interviews we conducted with those who provide services for male victims of abuse in Scotland, setting out how these agencies currently respond to men who say they are victims, and how they feel this service provision should be developed.
- Chapter Six summarises the main findings of this research project, the strengths and limitations of the data upon which these findings are based, and the new research questions these findings pose.
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