Intimate Partner Violence against Men: A Socio-Legal Perspective of their Experiences in Mathira East Sub-County, Central Kenya

The study explores the socio-legal experiences of male victims of intimate partner violence in Mathira East Sub-County, Kenya. A qualitative approach including case narratives, Key Informant Interviews and literature review were used. The findings reveal that IPV against men is a widespread problem in Mathira East Sub-County. Men in the area habitually experience physical, psychological and sexual abuses. However, they do not seek legal redress instead use informal approaches such as reporting to local administration officials, village elders and family members. Attitude of the public and the reporting authorities towards male victims of IPV, lack of knowledge on IPV, corrupt authorities, delay of cases, and denial to counter accusations were key barriers to seeking legal redress. This study concludes that IPV against men is a rampant socio-legal problem and suggests a need to conduct research involving a large population in the area to determine the magnitude of the problem, its manifestations and impacts on the victims.