{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]],"date-time":"2026-07-03T03:21:38Z","timestamp":1783048898867,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772409600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Domestic violence against men remains significantly under-recognized, despite affecting 20\u201340% of men worldwide. Societal stigma, gender-normative expectations, and institutional biases often discourage help-seeking behaviors among male victims. This retrospective analysis characterizes domestic violence against adult men by examining victim\u2013perpetrator dynamics, injury patterns, reporting behaviors, and behavioral barriers to help-seeking within an Italian emergency department setting. Overall, 80 adult male domestic violence victims presenting to the Emergency Department of Careggi University Hospital (Florence, Italy) between January 2017 and December 2022 were examined. Data included demographics, injury characteristics, perpetrator relationships, and formal reporting rates. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to examine associations between victim characteristics and help-seeking behaviors. The majority of victims were Italian men (age range 18\u201390 years, mean 44.2 \u00b1 15.1); of these, 55% experienced IPV perpetrated by female partners. Physical injuries were predominantly minor (classified as minor according to ED prognosis \u2264 7 days) (78.8%), including abrasions and contusions affecting the head (52.5%), neck (28.8%), and upper limbs (41.3%). Formal reports were filed with judicial authorities in 58.8% of cases, yet only 15% accepted protective interventions. Visible facial injuries (OR = 3.85, 95% CI, p = 0.004) and female perpetrators (OR = 8.23, 95% CI, p &lt; 0.001) were independent predictors of formal reporting. Documented behavioral barriers included stigma (68%), fear of disbelief (45%), and adherence to traditional masculine norms (52%). Our findings demonstrate that male domestic violence victims face substantial behavioral and systemic barriers that prevent help-seeking. Enhanced clinical\u2013forensic training, gender-inclusive response protocols, and public awareness campaigns are essential to provide equitable support and reduce under-reporting.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16030353","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T14:55:01Z","timestamp":1772463301000},"page":"353","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Male Victims of Domestic Violence: Clinical and Behavioral Insights from an Italian Hospital-Based Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Martina","family":"Focardi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Pathology Unit, AOU Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy"},{"name":"Rosa Code Unit, AOUC-Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paola","family":"D\u2019Onofrio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hospital Management Rosa Code Unit, AOUC-Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monique","family":"Cestaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Pathology Unit, AOU Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marta","family":"Guerini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Pathology Unit, AOU Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca Romana","family":"Ermini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, 50122 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Carnevali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rosa Code Unit, AOUC-Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rossella","family":"Grifoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Pathology Unit, AOU Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barbara","family":"Gualco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medical Sciences, Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5407-2160","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ilenia","family":"Bianchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Personal Identification and Forensic Morphology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6124-3298","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vilma","family":"Pinchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Personal Identification and Forensic Morphology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9392-9729","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beatrice","family":"Defraia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Pathology Unit, AOU Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.3149\/jmh.0801.22","article-title":"A marked man: Female-perpetrated intimate partner abuse","volume":"8","year":"2009","journal-title":"International Journal of Men\u2019s Health"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"651","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.126.5.651","article-title":"Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review","volume":"126","author":"Archer","year":"2000","journal-title":"Psychological Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Associazione Scientifica Gruppo Tossicologi Forensi Italiani (GTFI) (2017). 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