Invisible and disbelieved: Barriers to help-seeking among male victims of intimate partner violence : A qualitative Danish Exploration
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Background: Male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) remain underrepresented in research, underreported in statistics, and insufficiently supported in practice. While international studies highlight significant barriers to help-seeking, little is known about how these are experienced and navigated in the Danish context. The objective of this thesis is to deepen understanding of male IPV victims’ help-seeking barriers in Denmark, focusing on how gender norms and institutional structures shape recognition of abuse and access to support. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven Danish men who experienced IPV from a female partner. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns across participants’ narratives. Results: Five key themes were identified: 1) Silence in the absence of emotional language and knowledge, 2) Not made for men – Symbolic and structural invisibility, 3) Alone and ashamed - Isolation as a barrier, 4) Masculinity as a cage, and 5) Presumed perpetrators and disbelieved victims. These themes show how masculinity norms, emotional restraint, and societal disbelief delay recognition and limit access to support. Participants described experiences of misidentification, dismissal, and institutional inaction, which reinforced isolation and mistrust. Conclusion: Findings illustrate how Danish male IPV victims are marginalised by gender norms and fall outside culturally accepted victim narratives. Internal (e.g. shame, emotional restraint, minimsation) and external (e.g. institutional disbelief, misidentification) barriers contributed to delayed help-seeking and secondary victimisation. The study highlights the need for gender-inclusive reforms, including public awareness, trauma-informed training, peer-based interventions, and more visible, accessible, male-specific services.
Author: Bille Kjeldsen, Josephine
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7038895296