Chinese male victims in intimate partner violence in the United States: examining help-seeking behaviours through a systems perspective

Abstract

Few researchers who studied intimate partner violence (IPV) have focused on the relationship between the needs of male victims and their help-seeking behaviours. In addition, there is a lack of research relating to the needs of Chinese male victims of IPV. To facilitate research in this area, the authors utilized a dynamic systems perspective to build a conceptual framework to examine the help-seeking behaviours of Chinese-American males who are victims in violent relationships. This conceptual framework uses a social focus and analyses connections among major system components, such as culture, society, family, and the male victim as an individual. The authors identified four key analytical categories (cultural changes, societal expectations, influences of the family, and reactions to victimization) that practitioners and researchers can use to gain insight into the help-seeking behaviours of Chinese-American men. We anticipate that the conceptual framework can be used in future research to expand knowledge of male victimization and design effective intervention strategies.

Keywords:

• abused men
• systems perspective
• practice framework
• domestic violence
• IPV
• Chinese-American culture
• masculinity