Osynliga offer - En kvalitativ studie av normers påverkan på tillgången till rättsväsende och stöd för manliga offer för våld i nära relationer

Sammanfattning: Intimate partner violence has been described as a public health problem in Sweden and has recently been given attention by the media due to an increase of domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic. Discussions about intimate partner violence, both in media and science, have mostly centred around female exposure to such violence, leaving little room for discussions about male victimization. The aim of this study is therefore to increase knowledge revolving male victims of intimate partner violence by exploring how societal norms impact heterosexual male victims’ access to justice and support. A qualitative method constituted of semi structured interviews was adopted to answer the questions at issue. The theoretical base of the study was centred around the gap problem presented by Baier, Svensson and Nafstad, and Christie's theory of the ideal victim. Additionally, the theory about masculinities from the perspective of Connell and Messerschmidt was applied. The results showed that norms about masculinities and domestic violence are constructed in opposition to the norms about victimization. Therefore, violence by a female partner constitutes a unique problem for male victims. The findings suggest that societal norms about masculinities, victimization and domestic violence construct societal barriers that make it difficult for men to exercise their rights as victims of crime because of two reasons: Firstly, the way that men are treated goes against rights of citizens in general and victims of crime in particular, that are fixed by law. Secondly, the normative conceptions result in shame, which in turn affects their help-seeking behaviours