An examination of the male experience of legal aggression as a form of intimate partner violence in Canada

There is a paucity of literature exploring the male-victim experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study contributes to the body of literature that explores male-victimization IPV typologies by employing a novel measure of IPV (Legal and Administrative Aggression [LA]) to a Canadian sample, including mental health correlates (anxiety, depression, and alcohol misuse) from the female-focused IPV literature, and assessing the factor structure of the LA using exploratory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modelling. Our data suggested that legal aggression may be an important facet of male-victimization. Additionally, the mental health concerns evidenced in female-victims were generally mirrored in male-victims. Factor analysis further lent support that legal and administrative aggression and control may be a unique factor that belongs with the accepted typologies of IPV. Given the concerning outcomes of IPV, there is a sense of urgency to expand knowledge of this health crisis to drive social support.Joseph Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s Research Awar