Help‐seeking behavior of male victims of intimate partner violence in Japan

Aim Intimate partner violence (IPV) is becoming a serious public health issue worldwide. This study sought to analyze factors affecting the help‐seeking behavior of male victims of IPV using a web survey. Methods Male IPV victims living in Japan were recruited to participate in a web‐based questionnaire survey conducted on February 25 and 26, 2021. A total of 1466 men were divided into two groups: Group 1 (43 men) consisted of victims who sought help and Group 2 consisted of victims (1423 men) who had not sought help. The Domestic Violence Screening Inventory, a 20‐item questionnaire regarding IPV exposure, and the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 were used, along with the questions regarding help‐seeking behaviors for Group 1. Results Of the 43 victims, 28 victims (65.1%) used exclusively informal supports, eight victims (18.6%) used exclusively formal supports, and seven victims (16.3%) used both. Logistic regression analyses revealed that only physical violence was significantly associated with help‐seeking behaviors among types of abuse/violence (odds ratio [OR] = 4.51, confidence interval [CI] = 1.95–10.50, P