The culture of shame and the right to be heard: female-perpetrated gender based violence against men and help-seeking behaviour.
The purpose of the study was to explore factors leading to low turnout of men in reporting cases of female perpetrated gender-based violence. The study used a quantitative approach, which emphasized objective measurements and the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data collected through questionnaires. Specifically, the study sought to; identify the socio-demographic characteristics of men who are victims of gender-based violence; identify factors associated with female-perpetrated gender-based violence against men and to; explore the socio-cultural barriers to reporting of female-perpetrated gender-based violence against men. From 100 circulated questionnaires to men residing in Mtendere Township, 44 valid responses were received representing a 44% total response rate. Three officials from the Gender Division under the office of the Vice President and a Police Officer from Mtendere Police station under Victim Support Unit were also engaged in the study. It was revealed that violence against men is not uncommon, but many tend to dismiss, ignore and treat it with selective inattention. Male abuse remains hidden while female abuse is paraded before the public, as crisis lines and victim shelters are being established. It was revealed that numerous factors led to low turnout of men in reporting cases of female perpetrated gender-based violence. The study established that men did not want to be viewed as weak by the community and their spouses. However, it was a taboo and a big shame in some cultures for a man to be beaten by a woman. Fear of embarrassment was another socio-cultural barrier to reporting of female-perpetrated gender-based violence against men. It was also reviewed that society looks at men as stringer beings hence men who experienced female perpetrated gender-based violence barely reported to the police. Lastly, it was established that the justice system is not well equipped to deal with GBV cases against men. Consequently, government should improve the quality and access to legal services for GBV survivors Efforts to reduce GBV should be based on the evaluation of all laws put in place and involve women to participate in decision making to ensure compliance to these laws and policies to ensure family welfare and development. In addition, churches and local organizations must work to identify victims of GBV in their community and ensure that they do not end up adopting negative coping up strategies like drug and alcohol abuse. There is need to ensure that advocates of gender-based violence should not be very bias when talking about issues to do with domestic violence. They should be encouraging both men and women to stop engaging themselves in domestic violence. Key words: Female-Perpetrated Gender-Based Violence, Help-Seeking Behavior
Abused men., Men--Violence against., Boys--Violence against., Regional Network of Men against Gender Based Violence--Planning--Congresses.
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