Fathers' experiences of intimate partner violence: Examining the perspectives of fathers in urban and rural locations

This qualitative study examines experiences of unilateral and bidirectional violence in a sample of 17 fathers experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Most of the fathers experienced at least one other challenge including: mental health concerns, incarceration, substance use issues, and/or child maltreatment. Ten of the fathers in this sample reside in urban areas and seven reside in rural locales. The focus of this study was to understand fathers' experiences of unidirectional and bidirectional IPV, as well as differences experienced by fathers in the rural and urban samples. This study is a secondary analysis of data from two qualitative studies in order to examine fathers' experiences of IPV. Thematic analysis was utilized to examine verbatim transcripts from participant interviews. Four main themes emerged: bidirectional violence, use of weapons and pseudo weapons, motives for violence, and co-occurring factors. Results indicate the frequency and severity of bilateral IPV. The findings highlight the importance of understanding context and the need for a thorough assessment of individual and family challenges in order to provide effective treatment. This study increases our knowledge of IPV experienced by fathers in rural areas. Additionally, the importance of educating future clinicians on the prevalence of bidirectional IPV is discussed.