Scaling Police Perceptions About Gendered Roles and “Men” as Victims in Domestic Spaces: A Quantitative Study of NCT Delhi, India

Abstract

Masculinity is linked to power, control, strength, and protection, and cultural norms create a gap between these traits and recognition of male intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. This study examined how these norms shape police officers’ attitudes toward male victimization. A structured questionnaire including the Ambivalence Toward Men Inventory (AMI) and a Perception Toward Male Victimization (PMV) scale was administered to a convenience sample of 228 police officers in NCT Delhi, India. Female officers (M = 37.5, SD = 8.13) exhibited greater hostility, whereas male officers (M = 41.0, SD = 8.78) displayed higher benevolence toward men. AMI and PMV scores were positively correlated (r = 0.57, p < .0001), such that greater ambivalence toward men was associated with lower recognition of male victims. Demographic variables had limited influence, though being married, living in a joint family, or having a rural background was associated with greater conformity to traditional masculinity and lower victim recognition; rural background (β = 0.29, p < .001) and children of both genders (β = 0.87, p < .001; β = 0.42, p < .05 for victim recognition) were the strongest predictors. Among the officers surveyed, ambivalence toward men emerges as a barrier to recognition of male IPV victims, pointing to gender-sensitive, demographic-tailored training as a direction worth testing. Because recruitment was by convenience, these estimates describe the sample rather than the Delhi police force or Indian police officers generally.