Män som faller mellan stolarna: Polisens och socialtjänstens erfarenheter om våldsutsatta män i heterosexuella parrelationer
2026 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesisAlternative title
Men who fall through the cracks : Police and social services experiences of male victims of intimate partner violence in heterosexual relationships (English)
Abstract [en]
The purpose of this study aims to understand how professionals in police and social services describe their work and encounters with male victims of intimate partner violence in heterosexual relationships, and to analyze these descriptions in relation to the concept of epistemic injustice. To investigate this, the study was based on a qualitative approach with eight interviews. The interviews were divided between four patrol police officers and four workers from an IPV department of Swedish social services. The findings indicate clear differences between the two professional groups. Police work is characterized by acute interventions caused by time constraints based on the nature of their work. The work included a strong focus on gathering evidence for an eventual arrest or sentencing. In contrast, the social services describe a supportive, long-term and individualized approach with male victims of IPV. Furthermore, the findings show how the professionals describe recurring patterns of meeting male victims of IPV, suggesting shared challenges across professional roles. These results were analyzed and discussed with Miranda Frickers theory of epistemic injustice, along with Michael Lipskys theory of street-level bureaucracy. In conclusion this study suggest that the limited societal knowledge of male victims of IPV highlights the need for further research to improve understanding and professional responses.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. , p. 45
Keywords [en]
Intimate partner violence, professionals, police, social service, epistemic injustice, street-level bureaucrat, men, male victims
Keywords [sv]
Våld i nära relationer, professionella, polis, socialtjänst, epistemisk orättvisa, gräsrotsbyråkrat, män, manliga offer
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-144452OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-144452DiVA, id: diva2:2032831
Subject / course
Social Work
Educational program
Social Work Study Programme, 210 credits
Supervisors
Examiners
2026-02-032026-01-272026-02-03Bibliographically approved