Gender Differences in Service Provision for Victims of Interpersonal Violence: The Moderating Role of Relationship Type

Research suggests that male victims of interpersonal violence (IPV) experience differential treatment when seeking help from service providers. However, little research has explicitly investigated gender differences in actual service provision. The present study investigated whether there are gender differences in the number and type of services provided to IPV victims by the social services (research question 1), as well as if these gender differences vary depending on the victim’s type of relation with the offender (research question 2). We used data from the SU-Kvinnofrid (“Women’s peace/safety”) project, with information on all IPV victims (n = 2,998; 2,814 female and 184 male) seeking support from the social services in 34 Swedish municipalities. Data were analyzed using logistic and negative binomial regression models. On average, there were no or only small gender differences in service provision. However, these average differences masked significant variation based on the offender’s relationship to the victim. Men generally received fewer services when victimized by a partner but more when victimized by a non-partner (e.g., a family member); a pattern primarily driven by safety-focused and, to a lesser extent, practical support. The findings do not support the view that there is a general bias against male victims. Rather, they suggest that service provision is critically shaped by the inherently relational nature of IPV, and that gender differences in treatment cannot be understood by only focusing on the gender of the victim. Future research should not only adopt a positional perspective – stressing men as victims – but also a relational perspective, focusing on how different types of relationships influence service provision.