Jordanian Men's Experience of Emotional Abuse in Marital Relationships: The Role of Marriage Length and Motivation

Male intimate partner violence (IPV) victims in Japan: Associations of types of harm, sociodemographic characteristics, and depression trait

Aim

The purpose of this study was to examine factors affecting depression trait among male intimate partner violence (IPV) victims in Japan utilizing a multiple linear regression analysis.

Methods

A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted. Male IPV victims living in Japan were recruited to answer the questionnaire on the website on February 25-26, 2021. A total of 16,414 subjects were enrolled, of whom 1466 respondents were included in the study. Other than IPV exposure, information about sociodemographic characteristics, past traumatic experiences and psychiatric history was collected. The Domestic Violence Screening Inventory (DVSI), a 20-item questionnaire regarding IPV exposure, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to determine the intensity and the type of IPV harm and to screen for depression, respectively.

Results

The victims were more frequently subject to psychological abuse than to physical violence. Based on PHQ-9 scores, 10.7% of respondents exhibited moderate to severe depression. In the DVSI score, 79.2% of respondents required "observation and support." The lowest level of academic attainment (junior high school), positive psychiatric history, foregoing divorce to avoid adverse childhood experiences of their offspring, childhood exposure to domestic violence, younger age, having no children, and experience of school bullying were shown to be significantly associated with depression trait.

Conclusion

Male IPV harm has a multilayered complexity. The sociodemographic characteristics and experiences of victims' own have a greater impact on depression trait than direct violent harm, suggesting that the violence-focused support might be inadequate for male victims. Comprehensive supports are urgently needed.

Adult abuse and poor prognosis in Taiwan, 2000-2015: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

To investigate the risk of poor prognosis regarding schizophrenic disorders, psychotic disorders, suicide, self-inflicted injury, and mortality after adult violence from 2000 to 2015 in Taiwan.

METHODS

This study used data from National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) on outpatient, emergency, and inpatient visits for two million people enrolled in the National Health Insurance (NHI) from 2000 to 2015. The case study defined ICD-9 diagnosis code N code 995.8 (abused adult) or E code E960-E969 (homicide and intentional injury of another). It analyzed first-time violence in adults aged 18-64 years (study group). 1:4 ratio was matched with injury and non-violent patients (control group). The paired variables were sex, age (± 1 year), pre-exposure to the Charlson comorbidity index, and year of medical treatment. Statistical analysis was conducted using SAS 9.4 and Cox regression for data analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 8,726 individuals experienced violence (case group) while34,904 did not experienced violence (control group) over 15 years. The prevalence of poor prognosis among victims of violence was 25.4/10⁴, 31.3/10⁴, 10.5/10,⁴ and 104.6/10⁴ for schizophrenic disorders, psychotic disorders, suicide or self-inflicted injury and mortality, respectively. Among adults, the risks of suicide or self-inflicted injury, schizophrenic disorders, psychotic disorders, and mortality after exposure to violence (average 9 years) were 6.87-, 5.63-, 4.10-, and 2.50-times (p < 0.01), respectively, compared with those without violence. Among males, the risks were 5.66-, 3.85-, 3.59- and 2.51-times higher, respectively, than those without violence (p < 0.01), and they were 21.93-, 5.57-, 4.60- and 2.46-times higher than those without violence (p < 0.01) among females.

CONCLUSION

The risk of poor prognosis regarding schizophrenic disorders, psychotic disorders, suicide, or self-inflicted injury and mortality after adult violence was higher than in those who have not experienced a violent injury. Adults at the highest risk for violent suicide or self-inflicted injuries due to exposure to violent injuries -males were at risk for schizophrenia and females were at risk for suicide or self-inflicted injuries. Therefore, it is necessary for social workers and medical personnel to pay attention to the psychological status of victims of violence.

The role of patriarchal structure and gender stereotypes in cyber dating abuse: A qualitative examination of male perpetrators experiences

In Jordan, premarital romantic relationships are still socially unacceptable as they contradict traditional values and norms. Although previous studies have examined cyber dating abuse (CDA), few have utilized an exploratory qualitative design to clarify male abusers' perceptions of their motivations, particularly in Arabic and clan environments. Therefore, this study conducted a thematic qualitative analysis of 47 male university students aged 19-26 and asked about their experiences and beliefs regarding their engagement in CDA against female romantic partners via social media (WhatsApp, Facebook) and mobile phone. Two themes were identified: (1) contexts and motivations for male perpetration of CDA (2) consequences of CDA for the male perpetrators. The results revealed that control and direct aggression and sexual behaviors are common practices among male perpetrators; gender identity and male entitlement are related factors, enabling and normalizing male abusive behavior. Women, taught to be submissive by Jordanian society, are unable to defend themselves. Hence, CDA also predicts offline intimate partner violence-related behaviors. Moreover, the main motives for CDA from the perspective of male perpetrators are anger, jealousy, revenge, abandonment, feeling betrayed by female partners, earning money, sexual exploitation, and incitement by another woman. The results suggest that engaging in CDA behaviors can negatively impact perpetrators' physical and psychological health as well as their social and academic behaviors. These results confirm that efforts to reduce CDA that may lead to domestic violence against women must address the social pressures and context of violence, including masculinity and patriarchal domination.

Evaluating Female Experiences of Electronic Dating Violence in Jordan: Motivations, Consequences, and Coping Strategies

Gender stereotypes can influence electronic dating violence (EDV) because the victims' experiences with abusers depict crucial social mechanisms concerning relational dependency and unequal power relations between men and women, making it difficult for women to resist, report, or escape cyber abuse. In the Arab context, cyber abuse in romantic relationships has not been sufficiently examined. This study investigated female experiences of EDV through a qualitative exploratory descriptive approach. Participants experienced several short- and long-term negative psychological and emotional behavioral responses. Our findings validate that EDV heightened the probability of intimate partner violence definitively via psychological, emotional, verbal, and physical abuse. Their resistance strategies differed according to the extent and nature of the abuse. None of the participants sought help from family due to fear of being killed or forced out of university, and realizing that they would continue to experience multiple forms of abuse. Rather, they either sought help from female professors at the university or paid the abuser to be left alone. Further, they engaged in protective behaviors to block their abusive partner's access to them, consulted an Information Technology expert, and secretly requested assistance from the police. Preference for controlling and dominant roles, gaining monetary benefits, sexual exploitation, peer pressure, and revenge and anger due to abandonment were the leading motivations for abuse. Female students in their first year of university, those who lived in a disjointed family environment, or those who suffered abuse from their families were particularly susceptible to being victimized. Moreover, passwords shared with others or accounts left open on others' devices also enabled EDV. Hence, universities must conduct awareness sessions, for female students, on how to manage emotions and safe communication on social media and build healthy friendships and relationships. Curricula, seminars, workshops, and courses in the Jordanian educational sector should include programs and interventions that challenge perceived gender norms. These results have significant practical and clinical implications that help understand EDV in a poorly understood context and provide the groundwork for further research on the EDV problem in Jordan, addressing a lacuna in the literature on violence against Jordanian women.

Understanding the Man Box: the link between gender socialization and domestic violence in Jordan

The “Man Box” refers to a rigid set of expectations, perceptions, and behaviors that are considered “manly” and/or a “real man's” behavior, imposed on men by the society, such as superiority, cruelty, emotional suppression, lack of physical intimacy with other men, and expectations of socially aggressive and/or dominant behavior. Gender-based types of aggression and violence are central in the production of dominant heterosexual masculinities and male superiority that impose the dominating and violating behavior on men, and make these behaviors acceptable and naturalized. Therefore, adherence to the Man Box is one of the causes of violence against women, and to the creation and reinforcement of social environments conducive to domestic violence. This study shows how Jordanian males internalize and agree with “Man Box” beliefs and how these meanings affect their lives and behavioral patterns. Perceptions of Jordanian women on these issues were also included in the data collected through a survey distributed to 1,029 participants (525 men and 504 women) who live in Amman, Jordan. The results show that Man Box beliefs still prevail in Jordanian culture, promoted by parents, partners, and acquaintances. A total of 49.9% of the respondents show agreement with Man Box ideas. Jordanian men believe that society imposes rigid masculine gender roles, views on heterosexuality and homophobia, and expectations of aggression and control. Their personal attitudes, however, rejected the dictates of solving their own personal problems without help and fighting back when they were threatened. Most Jordanian women reported personal agreement with Man Box ideals for men, particularly in the areas of self-sufficiency, acting tough, and control, all of which can prevent men from breaking out of the Man Box. Our results also show that life inside the Man Box can impede men's formation of emotionally connected friendships and encourage them to show transgressive emotional behaviors. Furthermore, some men were more probable to violate the Man Box rules, such as being likely to talk to friends about something deeply emotional and feeling comfortable crying in front of them, or continuing to rely primarily on their mothers and romantic partners for emotional support. Additionally, inside the Man Box, men are more likely to experience physical and online bullying and perpetrate verbal and physical bullying; however, they are also more likely to attempt to intervene to stop violence.