Help-seeking for Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse: Experiences of Civilian Partners of UK Military Personnel

Perceptions of the impact of military life on relationships and Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse among UK military personnel

Research suggests that the prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPVA) use (i.e., perpetration) and experience (i.e., victimisation) is higher among military compared to civilian populations and that military-related factors, such as deployment and deployment-related trauma, are associated with IPVA. However, the mechanisms underlying the associations between military factors and IPVA use and experience are not well understood. This study explores narratives of how military personnel perceive military life to influence IPVA within relationships. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 UK military serving and ex-serving personnel (29 male, 11 female) and analysed using Framework analysis. Three superordinate themes were derived describing how elements of military life were perceived by personnel and veterans to impact on relationships and contribute to IPVA: Demands of military work; Military cultural spill-over; and Deployment-related difficulties with psychosocial functioning and mental health. The findings highlight risky periods for relationship conflict and IPVA, especially during reintegrations following deployments, but also show the impact of other military factors which provide significant context for IPVA. Our findings emphasise how difficulties with psychosocial functioning and communication, as well as deployment-related traumas and reintegration challenges, can influence relationships and IPVA behaviours among military personnel and veterans. Such experiences are aggravated or perpetuated by occupational demands, military socialization or institutionalisation, and the hypermasculine military environment. Targeted interventions to improve emotion regulation, conflict resolution and mentalizing skills may be especially useful for minimising harm resulting from relationship conflict and preventing IPVA.

Not Always a "Buffer": Self-Compassion as Moderator of the Link Between Masculinity Ideologies and Help-Seeking Intentions After Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence

Many women and men experience intimate partner violence (IPV) during their lifetime. However, only relatively few people actually seek formal help after such an experience. The current study applied the mediated-moderation model of self-compassion and stigma that has previously been used to explain men's help-seeking behavior for depressive symptoms. The current study analyzed whether conformity to masculinity ideologies (CMI), self-stigma, and self-compassion were related to women's and men's intention to seek formal help after IPV experiences. A cross-sectional online questionnaire study was conducted with 491 German-speaking participants (65.8% women/34.2% men; age: M = 36.1 years; SD = 14.2). Participants read three vignettes about experienced IPV and then indicated how likely they would be to seek medical or psychological help if they were in the main character's situation. Additionally, the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory, Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale, and Self-Compassion Scale were used. Separate manifest path models for women and men revealed that strong CMI was linked to strong self-stigma in women and men. In turn, strong self-stigma was linked to weak intentions to seek formal help after IPV experiences. In men, strong self-compassion weakened (i.e., "buffered") the link between CMI and self-stigma. However, direct associations between strong CMI and weak intentions to seek formal help remained, especially for those participants with strong self-compassion. The current study adds to the existing literature on associations between CMI, self-compassion, and self-stigma by showing that those links are also relevant in women. However, self-compassion might not always act as a "buffer" and mediators that explain links between strong CMI and weak intentions to seek formal help in people with strong self-compassion need to be found in future studies.

Help-seeking for Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse: Experiences of Serving and Ex-serving UK Military Personnel

Purpose

Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPVA) is as a major health concern globally. The prevalence of IPVA perpetration and victimisation has been found to be higher in military compared to civilian populations. Of concern, help-seeking for other psychosocial difficulties among military communities has been shown to be both limited and challenging, and military personnel could face additional or amplified barriers to help-seeking for IPVA than their civilian counterparts. This study aimed to use qualitative methods to explore the experiences of, and barriers to, help-seeking for IPVA victimisation and perpetration among UK military personnel.

Methods

Thematic analysis was conducted on 40 one-to-one semi-structured interviews with military personnel (29 male, 11 female).

Results

Four superordinate themes were derived, thematically organised according to different levels of the social ecological model: Military cultural factors; Support service factors; Interpersonal factors; and Individual factors. At a military cultural level, participants described difficulties in help-seeking for IPVA resulting from widespread stigma and hypermasculine attitudes in military communities, minimisation of violence, perceived pressure from chain of command, and fear of consequences of reporting. At a support-service level, participants' negative views or experiences and lack of awareness of services were also significant in deterring help-seeking. At an interpersonal level, participants recounted how relationships with military colleagues, their partner and their family could be both instrumental or a hindrance to help-seeking for IPVA. At an individual level, lack of insight into IPVA and different forms of abuse were suggested through minimisation of violence and described to contribute to delay in help-seeking. Shame, compounded by multi-layered stigma present at each social ecological model level, was a key reason for delaying or avoiding help-seeking.

Conclusions

The findings indicate the added challenges in help-seeking for IPVA experienced by military personnel and highlight a need for a whole systems approach to improve the provision of support for IPVA in the military serving and ex-serving community to instil meaningful change.

Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse: A Qualitative Exploration of UK Military Personnel and Civilian Partner Experiences

Purpose

The prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPVA) perpetration and victimisation has been found to be higher in serving and ex-serving military samples compared to civilians. Despite this, there is a lack of qualitative research exploring the IPVA experiences of couples in which one or both partners are serving or have served in the military. This qualitative study aimed to explore IPVA experiences within the UK military community from the perspective of serving and ex-serving military personnel and civilian partners of UK military personnel.

Method

One-to-one telephone interviews were conducted with 40 serving and ex-serving military personnel (29 male, 11 female) and 25 female civilian partners. Data was analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Four superordinate themes were derived: (1) patterns and directions of IPVA, (2) types of IPVA, (3) perceived drivers of IPVA and (4) perceived impact of IPVA. The findings point to frequent bidirectional abuse in part driven by poor communication and emotion regulation, whilst also highlighting the experiences of severe IPVA victimisation of civilian partners by military personnel motivated by power and control. Perceived drivers of both IPVA perpetration and victimisation include military factors borne of military culture or training, alcohol and mental health difficulties.

Conclusion

These results highlight the role of cultural norms, as well as the role of emotion dysregulation, poor communication skills and mental health difficulties in explaining and perpetuating abuse within ecological theoretical frameworks of violence among couples within which one or both partners are serving or ex-serving military personnel.

Help-seeking for Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse: Experiences of Civilian Partners of UK Military Personnel

There is evidence that Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPVA) is more prevalent among military populations compared with civilian populations. However, there has been limited research into the help-seeking experiences of civilian victim-survivors who have experienced IPVA within relationships with military personnel. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of, and barriers to, help-seeking for IPVA victimisation among civilian partners of military personnel in order to identify strategies to improve the management of IPVA both within the military and civilian sectors. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design and used qualitative research methods. One-to-one telephone interviews were conducted with civilian victim-survivors (n = 25) between January and August 2018. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Three superordinate themes were derived: (1) Drivers to help-seeking; (2) Barriers to help-seeking; and (3) Experiences of services. The findings indicate difficulties in help-seeking for IPVA among civilian partners of military personnel due to stigma, fear, dependency, poor understanding of IPVA, lack of appropriate and timely support, and a perceived lack of victim support. Difficulties in help-seeking were perceived by participants to be amplified by military culture, public perceptions of the military, military protection of personnel and the lack of coordination between civilian and military judicial services. This study reinforces the need for a military specific Domestic Abuse strategy, identifies vulnerable groups and highlights a need for both increased awareness and understanding of IPVA within civilian and military services in order to provide adequate victim protection.