A qualitative study to investigate male victims’ experiences of female-perpetrated domestic abuse in Jordan

Battered husband syndrome has not been investigated in an Arab context, despite evidence of a significant increase in violence against men by women. This study investigated male victims’ experiences of female-perpetrated domestic abuse in Jordan using a qualitative exploratory descriptive approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 33 married men from Amman and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five themes were identified: 1. causes of domestic abuse against men; 2. types of domestic abuse against men; 3. effects of domestic abuse against men; 4. men’s perception of reducing or stopping abuse by their wives; and 5. abusive wives’ characteristics. Participants experienced psychological, emotional and verbal abuse, coercive control, emotional neglect, and physical violence with varying degrees of severity, which affected both them and their families. Abusive wives used numerous tactics, including sex, children, isolation, and money to enable abuse. Moreover, clan and traditional thinking, societal structures, and norms led participants to divorce, stay in an abusive relationship, or use violence against their wives. The leading causes of abuse against the husband were wives’ neglecting the house, children, appearance, and personal hygiene; wasting money; wives’ family interfering in the couple’s private marital affairs; the wife’s betrayal; and traditional thinking. New perspectives toward domestic abuse in Jordan need to be developed to help us better understand the nature of abuse against men, provide resources and support for them, reduce the prevalence of domestic abuse, and protect Jordanian families. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01905-2.