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News.com.au
3 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
1 in 3 men admit to committing intimate partner violence, new national study finds
A groundbreaking Australian study has revealed that one in three men have admitted to committing intimate partner violence (IPV), but the research also points to promising ways to help stop it. The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) has found that building strong, affectionate bonds between fathers or father figures and their sons could cut the risk of IPV by nearly half (48 per cent). The findings come from the Ten To Men Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health, the largest research project of its kind. Since 2013-14, the study tracked around 16,000 boys and men, with another 10,000 added in 2023-24. Factors that contribute to IPV According to the report, men who had solid social support networks at all times in 2013-14 were 26 per cent less likely to report committing IPV by 2022. The data also shows a strong link between mental health and domestic violence. Men who experienced moderate or severe depressive symptoms in 2013-14 were 62 per cent more likely to report violent behaviour by 2022. Even those with mild symptoms were 32 per cent more likely, and men who had suicidal thoughts or attempts were 47 per cent more likely. However, the report stresses that most men dealing with depressive symptoms do not go on to commit domestic violence. What the men said The researchers defined intimate partner violence as including both emotional and physical abuse. Participants in the study were asked whether they had ever made a partner feel frightened or anxious (emotional abuse), or if they had ever hit, slapped, kicked, or physically hurt a partner when angry (physical abuse). By 2022, 35 per cent of men said 'yes' to one or both of those questions. About nine per cent admitted to physically abusing their partner. Father-son relationships impact violence Perhaps one of the most important findings from the study is the influence that positive relationships with fathers and father figures have on boys' use of partner violence when they grow up. Men who strongly agreed that they received affection from a father or father figure during childhood were 48 per cent less likely to ever use intimate partner violence compared to men who strongly disagreed. This finding is especially relevant to Australia's national policies and programs focused on breaking the generational cycle of partner violence. The research strongly suggests a need for violence prevention and early intervention with men at various stages of their lives. Organisations such as The Fathering Project aim to help – empowering fathers and father figures to build stronger relationships with their children through evidence-based programs, groups and events. Kati Gapaillard, CEO of The Fathering Project, told 'Father-son relationship plays a critical role in shaping how boys understand love, respect, and how to navigate conflict. 'When boys are raised by a father who is present, engaged, and treats those around them with respect, it influences children.' 'How a father manages conflict resolution sends a message to boys on how to respond in similar situations,' Ms Gapaillard continued. 'When boys grow up witnessing violence or control-based relationships – those patterns can become internalised as 'normal'.' She said that the absence of a caring, present father can also leave a void where boys turn to harmful stereotypes of masculinity — ones that 'connect strength with control'. The importance of emotional availability Daniela McCann, Director of the Australian Association of Psychologists, agrees that these early family dynamics are crucial – and believes fathers can help break the cycle by being more emotionally available. 'When fathers are emotionally available, sons are more likely to develop a range of emotional self-regulation skills, empathy and coping skills because they have the language and tools modelled to them from a young age,' Ms McCann said. 'These are core skills for healthy relationships. In contrast, emotionally distant fathers may teach their sons to avoid vulnerability, which can undermine emotional connection and lead to reactive behaviours.' Where to now? Ms McCann believes in the value of practical interventions that can support fathers in building stronger bonds with their sons. 'There are some wonderful (culturally safe) mentoring programs which encourage positive father-son relationships,' she said, 'including the Pathways Foundation Pathways to Manhood program, Fathering Adventures, The Fathering Project, Caring Dads Program, Stronger Families and Dads Tuning in to Kids. 'These programs provide guidance for dads to break the cycle of authoritarian, emotionally distant parenting and help them build strong relationships with their children and partners,' she said. Supporting men's mental health is also vital. Research has shown that men often struggle to seek help and support for their mental health, in part because of the stigma around needing to be 'resilient' and 'tough'. Organisations like The Men's Table and The Man Box aim to help break down these rigid gender expectations and help men get the support they need. The Ten to Men findings also highlight the importance of health and mental health practitioners being able to identify and work with people using violence, or at risk of using violence.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
One in three Australian men say they have committed intimate partner violence, world-first research finds
One in three Australian men has reported committing domestic violence, world-first research has found – and the same research has identified new ways to tackle it. The Australian Institute of Family Studies found fostering affectionate relationships between sons and fathers (or father figures) was associated with reducing the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) by as much as 48%. The AIFS Ten To Men Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health is the largest of its kind. It started tracking about 16,000 boys and men in 2013-14, and in 2023-24 added another 10,000 men to the database. Having good social supports is another protective factor, according to the AIFS report based on the study's robust data up to 2022. Men who reported high levels of social support all the time in 2013-14 were 26% less likely to report committing IPV by 2022. Mental health issues such as depression can increase the incidence of violence. Men with moderate or severe depressive symptoms in 2013-14 were 62% more likely to report committing IPV by 2022, while those with mild depressive symptoms were 32% more likely. Those who had experienced suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts were 47% more likely. The report said it was 'essential to acknowledge that only a minority of men experiencing depressive symptoms will later use [IPV]'. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Ten to Men respondents were surveyed about 'their use of, and experience of' IPV, and invited to provide yes/no answers to questions including: Have you ever behaved in a manner that has made a partner feel frightened or anxious? (emotional-type abuse) Have you ever hit, slapped, kicked or otherwise physically hurt a partner when you were angry? (physical violence) Among respondents by 2022, 32% reported committing emotional abuse, while about 9% reported physically abusing their partner. By 2022, about 25% of men had committed and experienced IPV, compared with 10% reporting only committing it. The study focused on mental health and social and familial support as factors in IPV, and did not look at other known factors – for example, masculine norms and alcohol and drug use were noted as 'important' but not within the study's scope. While the report noted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men have been identified as a priority group within the National Men's Health Strategy 2020–2030, they were not analysed as a separate group in the report, because of small sample sizes. Ten to Men program lead Dr Sean Martin said focusing on men's mental health was good in itself, but he said the research also suggested a broader benefit for their families and communities. He said, overall, a 'really complex mix of factors' influenced the chances someone would become a perpetrator. 'It really is this Gordian knot of individual relationships, society, cultural, and attitudinal factors,' he said. He said the study aimed for 'a detailed look at some key factors', as well as providing estimates. 'For us, that was things like mental health and suicide. 'It was also protective factors: we were particularly looking at social connection and paternal affection, because a lot of previous work has been on parental affection but that usually meant maternal.' Micaela Cronin, Australia's domestic, family and sexual violence commissioner, said the findings should help inform evidence-based policies. 'If we are going to end gender-based violence we need to understand more about pathways in to violence, what are protective factors, and what are pathways out,' she said. Cronin said it was 'powerful' to see the results about 'affectionate, close relationships with fathers and father figures' and young boys. 'But we need to unpack that and understand it more,' she said. 'What are the elements of it that really lead to strong role models?' In 2013-14, about one in four men aged 18 to 57 (24%) in the study had reported committing a form of IPV, according to the report. By 2022, that had risen to one in three. When that data is extrapolated to Australia's population, it suggests each year, on average, about 120,000 men are committing IPV for the first time. AIFS director, Liz Neville, said that showed clearly the 'devastating consequences' of delays in effective interventions. 'Each act of violence harms individuals, families and communities. We hope these disturbing numbers provide the impetus for further action by governments at all levels, underpinned by evidence,' she said. The federal government pledged in 2022 to end family and domestic violence in one generation. Australia's National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 has been criticised by some people for its emphasis on gender equality as a primary prevention method, over intervention on specific risk factors. After an uptick in alleged intimate partner homicide, the government convened a panel of experts last year to do a 'rapid review' of prevention approaches. In response to that, and a review of legal assistance, Anthony Albanese announced a $4.7bn, five-year plan to deal with what he has called the 'national crisis' in domestic violence. The new social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, said the AIFS findings were 'concerning, but sadly not surprising'. 'It's critical that we look at the factors that might lead to violence so we can make sure we're funding programs that stop it at the start,' Plibersek said. 'To end domestic and family violence we need to invest in the frontline services that help people and keep them safe, but we also need to stop the behaviours that lead to it.' The study's findings will be used in briefings to governments and policymakers. 'I will be raising it in every forum I can to ensure attention is paid to it,' Cronin said. Martin said there were 'a lot of things we can do now', but he said also that 'the broader cultural shifts will take time'. In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. The national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732.
