Shame, stigma, and culture prevent male intimate partner violence survivors from seeking help, study finds

Heather Carroll — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:05:28 +0000

Shame, stigma, and culture prevent male intimate partner violence survivors from seeking help, study finds Heather Carroll Wed, 08/12/2026 - 13:05

91�� researchers found that barriers to help-seeking vary across racial and ethnic groups, highlighting gaps in support for male survivors.

Lyric Russo, postdoctoral researcher. Photo provided

Men are less likely than women to seek help after experiencing intimate partner violence, and new research from 91�� found that the main barriers include viewing it as a private matter, fear of retaliation, shame, and concerns about not being believed.

In this study, postdoctoral researcher Lyric Russo explored these barriers across racial and ethnic groups in order to address gaps in research in these underrepresented demographics.

“By centering men’s perspectives across racial and ethnic backgrounds, the findings support a more inclusive understanding of intimate partner violence and underscore the importance of trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and gender-inclusive interventions that broaden access to and engagement with existing services,” said Russo, first author on a paper recently published in Psychology of Men & Masculinities.

This study is among the first large-scale (nearly 1,200 men) U.S. studies to compare help-seeking barriers among non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino White male victims of intimate partner violence. The study was led and paper co-authored by acclaimed male IPV researcher Denise Hines.

Why does this matter?

Denise Hines, Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor. Photo provided

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 44% of men report being victims of IPV, but many of these men are not receiving support, highlighting the significance of understanding barriers to seeking help.

“By identifying the challenges to seeking support, the findings can help inform more effective and inclusive services for diverse groups of male victims,” said Hines, Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor of Social Work.

“Without focused research, interventions, and support services may fail to reflect the experiences and needs of male victims,” said Russo.

What are the detailed study findings?

Across all racial and ethnic categories, viewing abuse as a private matter was the most common barrier to seeking help.
Latino men were significantly more likely to express concerns about shame or embarrassment being a barrier.
Black men were less likely to report concerns about not being believed.
White men were more likely to report difficulty in labeling their experiences as abuse.

Additional details

The paper, Barriers to Help-Seeking Among Male Victims of Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence: Insights from Black, Latino, and White Men, was published in Psychology of Men & Masculinities. The paper was selected as the July 2026 editor’s choice article and invited for a research feature on the APA Division 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities) blog. It is available free of charge. Paper co-authors include Jennifer L. Mezzapelle of 91��, Chiara Sabina of Rutgers University, Kerry A. Lee of Bryn Mawr College, and Emily M. Douglas of Montclair State University.

thumbnail provided by Nadeem from AdobeStock

Key Takeaways

Across racial and ethnic groups, the main barriers to men seeking help for intimate partner violence are viewing it as a private matter, fear of retaliation, shame, and concerns about not being believed.
This study is among the first large-scale (nearly 2,000 men) U.S. studies to compare help-seeking barriers among non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino White men victims of intimate partner violence.
By identifying the challenges that may prevent men from accessing intimate partner violence support, the findings can help inform more effective and inclusive services for male victims.

In This Story

Denise Hines, PhD

Topics

Intimate Partner Violence

College of Public Health

CPH research

SW research

Postdocs

Hines appointed first woman editor-in-chief of ‘Psychology of Men and Masculinities'

Heather Carroll — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:17:45 +0000

Hines appointed first woman editor-in-chief of ‘Psychology of Men and Masculinities' Heather Carroll Tue, 08/04/2026 - 15:17

In This Story

Denise Hines, PhD

Key Takeaways

Denise Hines has been appointed the first woman editor-in-chief of Psychology of Men and Masculinities.
With more than 25 years of experience, Hines is a national expert on men’s lives, mental health, relationships, help-seeking, and intimate partner violence victimization.
This appointment reflects Hines’ scholarship on men and masculinities, and her commitment to mentoring emerging scholars, fostering interdisciplinary research, and translating research findings into real-world solutions.

An international expert on male intimate partner violence, Denise Hines has more than 25 years of experience researching men’s lives, mental health, relationships, and intimate partner violence victimization.

Denise Hines

International expert on male intimate partner violence Denise Hines has been appointed the first woman editor-in-chief of Psychology of Men and Masculinities, a journal of the American Psychological Association.

Hines is the Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor of Social Work at 91��’s College of Public Health and has spent more than 25 years conducting research on men’s lives, mental health, relationships, help-seeking, and intimate partner violence victimization. She is a leader in male intimate partner violence research and help-seeking strategies.

This appointment reflects Hines’ scholarship on men and masculinities, and her longstanding commitment to mentoring early career researchers, fostering interdisciplinary research, and translating research findings into real-world solutions for individuals, families, and communities.

“The journal has played a formative role in advancing understanding of men's lives, health, relationships, and well-being, and I am honored by the opportunity to help shape its future," said Hines. “I am particularly excited to foster rigorous, innovative, and inclusive scholarship that captures the diversity and complexity of men's experiences, supports emerging scholars, and advances research with meaningful implications for practice, policy, and social change. After more than two decades as an author, reviewer, editorial board member, and guest editor, I view this role as an opportunity to give back to a field that has profoundly shaped my professional life while helping position the journal for continued growth and impact.”

Hines served on the journal’s editorial board since 2021 and recently guest edited a special issue focused on men’s experiences with intimate partner violence and family abuse victimization. She has had nine articles published in the journal, including her first-ever publication in 2001. In 2010, she was named in the Top 10 Most Productive Psychology of Men and Masculinity Scholars, and the only female scholar to make the Top 10.

“My work has often focused on populations whose experiences are overlooked or misunderstood, particularly male victims of intimate partner violence, and I hope to continue supporting research that improves practice, policy, and public understanding of men’s experiences,” said Hines.

She begins her four-and-a-half-year term as editor-in-chief of Psychology of Men and Masculinities in January 2027.