A University of Cumbria academic will deliver a keynote address to delegates at an international conference later this year held to consider male domestic abuse.
Dr Liz Bates, an associate professor in family violence and abuse, has a growing reputation in studying an issue that is often overlooked by society yet continues to cause concern.
In 2020 she gained a national award in recognition of her work in highlighting men and boys who are victims of abuse.
In September Dr Bates has been asked to speak to delegates at the 2025 Men and Families (MaF) conference which will take place in Barbados.
Her topic will focus on identity abuse where perpetrators use a form of coercive control to use a victims’ identity against them.
“For example within the LGBTQ plus community there are cases recorded where a threat to ‘out’ someone who’s not out is used,” Dr Bates said.
“There have also been cases involving older men whose partners try to convince them that they have Alzheimer’s disease as a way of gaining control of their affairs.”
This will be the second time Dr Bates has attended the conference but the first occasion where she has been asked to present a keynote address to peers.
The University of Cumbria academic has recently worked with the British Psychological Society and collaborates with Dr Denise Hines, an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at the College of Public Health at George Mason University in the US.
Dr Hines’ expertise includes the causes, consequences, and prevention of family violence and sexual assault, with a particular focus on under-recognised victims of intimate partner violence.
“Working with someone who was one of the first people that published in depth research about male victims is a privilege and I’ve learned so much ,” Dr Bates said. “I sometimes get mixed responses to my work with male victims but I’ve always been so well supported at the University of Cumbria with my research .”
She added: “I hope to really develop the interest in the sort of activity in this area of research and potentially bring a conference to Cumbria in time.”
Dr Bates is one of a number of academics featured in the university’s latest series of podcasts highlighting research underway.
