This cross-sectional online survey study examined legal help-seeking behavior (police, criminal/family/immigration attorneys) among 1,194 male IPV victims (299 Black, 596 Latino, 299 White) who experienced IPV from a female partner, including rates of help-seeking, perceived helpfulness, and responses received.
Rates of legal help-seeking did not differ by race/ethnicity. Black, Latino, and White men reported similar responses from police and all attorney types. However, Black men rated police as significantly more helpful than White men did, suggesting race shapes expectations — not experiences — of police contact.
- Online panel sample may not represent all male IPV victims, especially those without internet access or those undocumented. - Only men with female partners were included, limiting generalizability to same-sex relationships. - Self-reported perceived helpfulness is subjective and may reflect pre-existing attitudes toward law enforcement rather than actual police behavior.
Clinicians and service providers should not assume Black or Latino male IPV victims are less likely to seek legal help — help-seeking rates are similar across groups. Awareness of race-shaped expectations of police may help providers better prepare male IPV patients for what to expect when engaging the legal system.
