“I’d Work Weekends Because I Just Didn’t Want to Go Home”: The Spillover Effects of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization on Men’s Personal Well-Being and Working Lives

Abstract Purpose In Australia, 1.5 million men have reported being victims of IPV since the age of 15, yet their experiences are sometimes dismissed or not reported due to social stigma. The outcomes for these men are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate men’s experiences of IPV and how these experiences impacted them in the workplace. Methods Using a qualitative design, we interviewed 12 Australian men and asked them to tell their story in relation to their self-reported past or present IPV experience. Results Overall, we found that men reported a wide range of abuse experiences, including physical, emotional, and sexual. Men’s personal and working lives were directly impacted by societal perceptions of males as victims, as well as through the negative impact of direct and indirect abuse on their health and wellbeing. Men reported disruptions to their capacity to work, finances, and career progression, as well as using the workplace to cope with abuse. Many men were also hesitant to align their experiences with ‘victimization’, despite reporting clear instances of abuse. Conclusions There is a need for increased education and awareness surrounding male IPV victimization, to counter existing prejudices that may exacerbate negative outcomes and obstruct help-seeking. Organizational support and associated policies for IPV should be specific, well publicized, and non-gender preferential. Doing so could help to reduce spillover by helping men to access support sooner.