Protection Pathways for Male Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review of State and Non-State Mechanisms Worldwide

Abstract

Intimate partner violence is a worldwide phenomenon. Systematic reviews address male intimate partner violence experiences from different perspectives. These reviews highlight the limitations of existing mechanisms, particularly institutional mechanisms. Systematic reviews comparing the advantages of institutional and non-institutional mechanisms appear to be rare. Such comparisons could facilitate the development of integrated solutions.
This literature review aims to analyze the comparative advantages of institutional and non-institutional mechanisms for protecting male victims of intimate partner violence worldwide. The literature search was conducted using the Scopus and Dimensions databases. Five hundred and ninety-one documents were obtained from both databases. After screening using the CADIMA plateform and selection procedures, 74 relevant documents were extracted and analyzed. Institutional and non-institutional mechanisms are involved in protecting male victims. Each mechanism presents positive and negative characteristics that hinder or enhance their efficacy. Although no mechanism is sufficient, non-institutional present more advantages, highlighting the need for complementarity between both systems to ensure cessation of violence. This review contributes a comparative framework to assess protection pathways for male IPV victims by (i) identifying a typology of institutional and non-institutional mechanisms and (ii) synthesizing their strengths and limitations in a structured advantage/constraint matrix. This framework highlights where mechanisms complement or substitute each other and identifies priority gaps for research and policy worldwide and particularly for Africa.