From time to time, the charity receives request from academics or the media who would like male victims to take part in surveys. These form an important part of helping to ensure that the needs of male victims are adequately addressed.

The ManKind Initiative, however, does not take any responsibility for the content of these surveys or the requests.

Media/Survivors

If you are a male survivor and your ex-partner was convicted, we receive calls from the media regularly asking to speak to male survivors – if this is something you could consider helping with , please contact Mark Brooks via chairman@mankind.org.uk

(1) Dr Elizabeth Bates: University of Cumbria

My name is Dr Elizabeth Bates and I am a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Cumbria, working with my colleagues: Dr Nikki Carthy (Teesside University), Dr Nicoletta Policek, Attillio Colosi and Denica Whinn (also from UoC)

We are looking for men who are over 60 and have experienced aggression and control from a female partner.

We are using an anonymous online survey made up of some open-ended questions about experiences of aggression and control, as well as asking about the age-related aspects of this. This could take around 30-45 minutes.

If you would prefer to take part through an interview, rather than a questionnaire then please just get in touch through my email: Elizabeth.Bates@cumbria.ac.uk

To find out more information and to take part, please click the following link: https://cumbria.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/older-mens-experiences-of-aggression-and-control-from-fem

(2) Sophie Piercey: University of West London

My name is Sophie Piercey and I am a postgraduate student at the University of West London. The focus of my dissertation is the experiences of third party callers that have accessed the ManKind Initiative helpline on behalf of somebody else. My aim is to understand what barriers may prevent some men from accessing help themselves. This study has been approved by the UWL ethics committee.

Participation of this survey is voluntary and all data will be kept confidential. You have the right to withdraw your data at any point should you decide to take part, and can leave questions blank if you do not wish to answer them. The survey consists of 5 demographic questions, followed by 11 open-ended questions. The survey may take around 20 minutes or longer, depending on how much detail you choose to go into.

https://uwlpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_efdH4Udriywe9Lf

(3) George Frost: Manchester Metropolitan University

My name is George Frost and I am an MSc Student of Forensic Psychology at the Manchester Metropolitan University. The study will be exploring why male victims of sexual violence do not report their experiences to the police.

Ideally, participants need to worked with male victims of sexual violence and have had an insight into why these individuals did or did not report the offence. Participants will be asked to take part in an interview lasting up to 45 minutes by phone or Skype. I would like to audio-record the interview for transcription purposes, if possible. The interview will focus on their client’s views on their own identity, openness about the incident, their mental state following it, and how these impacted their decision to report. If you would like to take part, please contact me at George.Frost@stu.mmu.ac.uk

(4) Gemma Scott: Kingston University

I am currently studying Forensic Psychology and as part of this course I need to write a dissertation. I have decided to research the experiences of male survivors of domestic violence and abuse. As a survivor myself I think it is important to get a male perspective and as a lot of research and support is based on male perpetrated violence towards women, it is vital to gain more information from male perspectives.

I am looking for men aged between 18-60, who have been in domestic violent and abusive long-term relationships with a female partner and are no longer in the abusive relationship.

I will be conducting semi-structured interviews which means that I would need to video chat with you via Skype or Zoom to answer some questions about your experiences. It could take around 45 to an hour depending on how detailed your answers are. All interview will be voluntary and there is no obligation to take part, videos will be voice recorded to allow for easy transcription later, these will then be deleted. The study will be carried out confidentially and you will be only identifiable by a code rather than your name. You will have the right to withdraw from the study up until the end of June/beginning of July. The data and information gathered will be only available to myself, my supervisor, the psychology department at Kingston University and Mankind, researchers or therapist who may find it aids services, treatments and advice provides to clients.

If you are interested in taking part in my study or would like further details, please contact me through my university email k1219832@kingston.ac.uk

(5) Thomas Nally – University of Central Lancashire

My name is Thomas Nally, I am a PhD researcher at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and a Forensic Psychologist in Training. I am conducting research to explore how victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV or Domestic Abuse) protect themselves or minimise the risk of abuse, while in abusive relationships. This study hopes to gain the perspectives of victims concerning past abuse experiences.

Who can participate? – The study invites participants who have been a victim of Intimate Partner Violence previously, but is not currently in an abusive relationship.

What would I be asked to do? You will be asked to complete an interview. At no point will you be asked identifiable information such as name or address. However, you will be asked some general questions about your victimisation (such as the type of abuse you suffered and the length of the abusive relationship. Further, it will include questions about behaviours or strategies you may or may not have used, while in the abusive relationship, to prevent or reduce the risk of harm to yourself. This can be completed with a male or female interviewer and can be completed over the phone or over skype/zoom. The interview will be recorded and is expected to take no longer than 45 minutes to complete.

Contact details – To participate in the study or to get more information please email me: TNally1@uclan.ac.uk. Alternatively, you may contact my primary supervisor, Prof. Jane. Ireland: JLIreland1@uclan.ac.uk.

(6) Megan Tyson- Nottingham Trent University

For my Criminology Master’s thesis I am researching into the gendered experiences of domestic violence survivors in the Criminal Justice System. The research consists of an interview with approximately 10 questions through a Skype or Microsoft Teams video call lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour (which will be audio recorded with participant consent). The aim of the research is to gain a better understanding of domestic violence survivors experiences within the relevant stages of the Criminal Justice System. The interview will therefore reflect this and will not be exploring survivors experiences of domestic violence.

I have received ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee at the University and I am hoping to recruit at least 3 male and 3 female survivors for this. It is vital that participants; have internet access with a device enabling Skype or Microsoft Teams video call, must be over the age of 18, have reported their domestic violence to the police and must be free from domestic violence and not living in an abusive relationship.

If you meet the required criteria and are interested in participating in this research or if you have any further questions please email me at: N0681373@my.ntu.ac.uk where I can send a participant information sheet with more details of the research and should you wish to take part informed consent forms to begin interviewing.

(7) Milena Fernandes Aguilera: University of Wolverhampton

I’m a doctoral researcher at the University of Wolverhampton and my main area of research concerns interventions for domestic abuse survivors. My current study explores the possibility of incorporating life engagement to boost long lasting recovery from trauma related to domestic abuse.

The participation is voluntary and all data is anonymous and confidential. The online study takes about 10 minutes to complete, its mobile friendly and in a form of multiple choice survey. A personal, identifying information are not required at any stage and the survey does not require to provide any description of previous abuse.

The project has ethical approval from Ethics Committee of University of Wolverhampton. The link to the survey is provided below : https://wolverhamptonpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_08MGO6jwj1LbNk1?fbclid=IwAR1PKnX3xiAp2nwna8IjJKK8YZ3C9S-1WdycOkSgCfZjyGYMa8WBIjKOhso

(8) Dr Julie Taylor: University of Cumbria

The aim of the project is to explore the experiences of people who have at some point in their childhood or adolescence lived in a home where there has been family/domestic violence and abuse.

By family/domestic violence and abuse we mean people, who as they grew up, were made to feel unsafe in some way by the behaviour of the adults in the home (e.g. parents/caregivers). The behaviour of the adults towards one another may have taken a number of forms including:

Physical violence (for example: punching, slapping, kicking, pushing) / Verbal abuse (for example: shouting insults; screaming abusive language) / Threatening behaviour (verbal or physical) (for example: threatening to tell lies; threatening violence; threatening to hurt children, pets or loved ones) / Undermining behaviour (e.g. telling someone they are stupid, useless, bad at things)

The impact of parental/caregiver interactions (such as those listed above) on any children in the home is often overlooked because the children have traditionally been seen as witnesses or observers. This view is changing and researchers have written on the topic but there are still only a small number of studies where the children themselves have been asked about their experiences, which is understandable whilst they remain children.

To access experiences directly from those who have been in this position, we would like to hear from people (males and females) who are now over the age of 18 years, live in the UK but are no longer in the abusive setting and feel they are able to write (anonymously) about their experiences and any support they received. Specifically, we hope to understand their experiences as children and young people and in particular, what support they sought or received.

Participants will be asked to complete an anonymous online survey made up of some brief demographic questions, and some open-ended questions about their childhood experiences, the nature of the violence/abuse that took place in the home and the support they sought or received. This could take around 30-45 minutes. Please note that with the exception of the consent questions, all other questions are optional, so if you come across a question that you do not wish to answer for any reason, please feel free to leave it blank and move on.

To find out more information and to take part, please click the following link: Survey

(9) Kylie Wilson: University of Cumbria

My name is Kylie Wilson and I am an MSc student currently studying Legal and Criminological Psychology at the University of Cumbria.

I am about to undertake research that explores the impact of experiencing Intimate Partner Violence on Identity. I am looking to speak with anyone over the age of 18 who has experienced abuse in an intimate relationship and who would feel able to discuss their experiences in an interview. Due to the current pandemic interviews would be conducted over the phone or via skype, whichever is preferred by the participant. The interview will last approximately 1 hour and in order to safeguard participants, you must no longer be in an abusive relationship.

If you would like more information, please contact me at s1502756@uni.cumbria.ac.uk and I will send you more detailed information and answer any questions you may have. If you then decide you would like to take part, a date and time that suits you will be arranged.

(10) Lois Donnelly: PhD Researcher: IPA victims and Family Courts (School of Psychology, University of Worcester)

I am a PhD researcher and I am recruiting participants for an online questionnaire or telephone interview about Family Court experiences of survivors of domestic abuse. If you are someone who has been in an abusive relationship in the past, and entered the Family Court system in 2014 or later in order to solve a separation dispute such as divorce or child arrangements, please get in touch at l.donnelly@worc.ac.uk. This study has received ethical approval from the University of Worcester. Thank you so much.

(11) Vilija Skubute: Salford University

I am a MA student at Salford University studying Socially Engaged Photography. I intend to study how the victims cope after enduring both physical and domestic abuse. The aim is to illustrate in photographic images what factors helped them survive and contributed to their healing process. This project would allow victims to share their story through photographing the object that has

supported them and helped to overcome the pain whilst respecting their anonymity. This “healing tool” could be a friend, a location, an experience or even an inanimate object or location. If you wish to take part in this project please contact me through email: vilija@vilija-skubute.com or call me 0744 377 4319

(12) Ines Pereira – University of Buckingham:

I am conducting my final year of Criminological Psychology project and I am looking at individual differences in potential victims of emotional and psychological abuse and to measure their levels of self-esteem. Looking for participants over the age of 18 who believe they have been psychologically and emotionally manipulated. All Participants must be out of an abusive relationship for at least 12 months. All participation is voluntary. Participants will be provided with a link that directs them to an online survey and will be asked to complete a 45-item questionnaire. All data provided by the participants will be anonymous, and participants are free to withdraw at any time.

No risks are anticipated in taking part in the study, however, in the unlikely event, you may always contact the researcher.

https://buckspsychology.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3jIgFqAckiziwRL

(13) Debbie Tarupiwa – London South Bank University

My name is Debbie and currently enrolled at London South Bank University, studying Housing Policy and Practice. As part of my 3rd-year project am undertaking research on Male domestic violence victims/ survivors in the UK in relation to service provision limitations and barriers to seeking assistance. Am seeking men aged 18 and over to take part in the research. Research is completely confidential and anonymity would be protected, thank you in advance.

Please complete the questionnaire and send back to : tarupiwd@lsbu.ac.uk

(14) Meghan Nicholson – University of Sunderland

I am an MSc student at the University of Sunderland studying Inequality and Society and an Academic Tutor at the University of Sunderland. My Masters Research Study shall be investigating ‘why men report incidences of coercive control and other forms of domestic abuse substantially less than women’. This study will consist of interviewing male participants over the age of 18 in order to grasp a deeper of understanding of why men under-report cases of domestic violence in all its forms, based on their lived experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse from a female ex-partner.

Under-reporting is a massive problem across the UK when looking at domestic violence, specifically when the survivors are male; almost less than half of men in contrast to women report coercive control/domestic violence cases to the police. This statistic has proven to be incredibly problematic, and is what has driven this research; questioning why this is the case and how can we change this.

Once the interviews have been conducted, I will identify various themes and patterns which the participants will advise of during the interviews; the answers which the participants provide will be used in order to identify why under-reporting exists. This project will provide survivors with the platform to be able to share their lived experiences which will allow their voices to be heard. This will go on to help other male survivors understand, knowing that they are not alone, and that this research could potentially help contribute to providing better services to support in the prevention of domestic abuse across various sectors e.g. the education and legal sector.

All participants shall remain completely anonymous and interviews will take place via Skype due to the uncertain times we are living in due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

If you wish to volunteer as a participant, please contact me via email at bg34nj@student.sunderland.ac.uk or alternatively at meghan.nicholson@sunderland.ac.uk.

(15) Future Living Hertford – Wise Guys Project

Survey for male victims/survivors to support new service in Hertford – please see details here