People’s perception of men as victims of intimate partner violence in Uganda : a case study of Kyebando village in Wakiso District
Abstract
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) against men in the past is not generally considered serious as that against women. This study examined people’s perceptions about men who suffer from Intimate Partner Violence in Kyebando Village, Wakiso District, Uganda. The study was conducted in May – June 2022, it used quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection using structured questionnaires and in-depth interview guides. These helped to gather in-depth information concerning men as victims of IPV. Overall, 80 participants were sampled for the study. The mean age of the participants was 25.88 (SD 6.38). The majority of the study participants were male (53, 66.25%), had completed secondary or higher education (75, 93.75%), had ethnic origins that were not of Buganda area (42, 55.26%), were unemployed (56, 73.68%), earned no income (55, 68.75%), were protestant (42, 52.50%), were married (63, 81.82%) and had at least a sibling (74, 94.94%). Overall, the proportion of participants who thought that any of the three IPV types (physical, emotional and sexual abuse) was acceptable was 28.75%. . Participants that thought that IPV against men was ok as long as they didn’t get hurt were 6 times more likely to accept IPV against men compared to those that didn’t (OR 6 (95% CI 1.35 – 26.64)). Also, study findings showed that socioeconomic factors, personal feelings and cultural beliefs were identified to be associated with IPV against men. Collaborative community-based interventions, government strategies and non-government strategies are needed to avert IPV against men. These could include community education and counselling through community groups, law enforcement and support for the affected men. Further research needs to be carried out on the assessment of IPV against men.