SFU criminologist receives prize for domestic violence research
The prize is awarded for research that recognizes and contributes to the understanding of controversy
Alexandra Lysova, SFU criminologist, was awarded the Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy for her research on male victims of domestic violence. (Submitted)
Alexandra Lysova, a criminologist at Simon Fraser University, is this year’s recipient of the Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy for her years of dedicated research studying male victims of domestic violence.
The award recognizes work that provokes and contributes to understanding controversy.
Her research began with a focus on women and children, but eventually turned to men — the often hidden and not conventionally recognized victims.
“Once I first heard about family violence as an undergraduate psychology student in Russia, I immediately became very interested. I’ve had a very loving and caring family, I wanted to understand why this is not the case in other families,” Lysova says.
“How can it be that people who decide to live together, who love each other, can be so violent towards each other and towards their children?”
When she realized there wasn’t much information about male victims of domestic violence and homicide, she started to examine the issue. Her research focuses on the prevalence rates, types of abuse experienced by men, male perpetrators, and the underlying factors that motivate them to commit these crimes.
“Realizing that there are many other victims of abuse was a natural development of my research interests. And even though the focus has been on women victims predominantly, they’re not the only victims,” she says.
She trained for psychological counselling in rational emotive behaviour therapy at the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City. She heard discussions about issues in intimate relationships. The process, which is usually confidential, was evolved by a tradition where people could present their issues in public thus creating a safe space and seek professional advice by leading psychotherapists.
“We focus on women, but we hear that many men complain [about] what happens in their relationship, and I’m not sure what kind of help they get. Where do they go? How does society treat them? So that was this moment when I realized that it makes sense to pay more attention to men and see what’s happening to them,” she says.
In a society that is not ready to accept men as victims of domestic violence, she says her research acknowledges the many stereotypes that hold men back from sharing their experiences.
“There are many stereotypes about masculinity. [Men] who should be strong, who should not cry, who should not complain about issues,” she says. “We can see them everywhere in the media, entertainment industry, [and] how people socialize their boys. Constantly telling them ‘don’t show your emotions.’”
“Men who are victims of female-perpetrated abuse do not often fit the image of the ‘ideal victim’ and tend to receive less sympathy even when their injuries are severe.”
Her research also identifies barriers men face like the factors that stop men from seeking help. In some cases, men do not want to acknowledge that they are victims of domestic violence. It also highlights how the justice system can be misused to prevent men from reaching out for help.
“Recently, researchers have identified a new form of abuse more specific for men, it’s called legal and administrative abuse. It occurs when one partner uses [the] justice system (courts, law enforcement, the police, child protection services) either during or after the termination of a relationship in an abusive manner that often includes false allegations against the victims,” Lysova says.
“This award acknowledges and actually celebrates the bravery in grappling with difficult topics. It hopefully encourages more people to challenge the complacency and to contribute to a better understanding of complex social issues.”
