Rugalabam, Jacqueline MosesJeckoniah, John NshimbaJesse, Angela Mcharo2026-07-262026-07-262025https://ajosdemar.comhttps://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7844African Journal of SocialDomestic violence against men remains underreported, with male victims often lacking institutional support and facing barriers to disclosure. This paper examined how men in Kigamboni, Tanzania, respond to physical, sexual, financial, and psychological forms of domestic violence, and whether the type of abuse influences their specific responses. A crosssectional design was employed utilizing a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from 133 male victims with qualitative data from focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Binary logistic regression was used to determine whether the type of violence predicted men’s responses, including retaliation, secrecy, reporting, relationship termination, and seeking another partner. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results show that sexual violence significantly predicted relationship termination (β = 0.292, p < 0.05), infidelity (β = 0.307, p < 0.01), withholding financial support (β = 0.288, p < 0.05), and retaliatory violence (β = 0.346, p < 0.01). Verbal/psychological abuse reduced the likelihood of seeking another partner (β = -0.13, p < 0.05), while financial abuse increased help-seeking from religious leaders (β = 0.205, p < 0.05). Formal reporting to police or social welfare was rare. Qualitative findings revealed that men's responses were shaped by social expectations, emotional strain, and the need to preserve identity and control. The study concluded that men’s responses to domestic violence vary depending on the form of abuse and are influenced by masculinity norms. The findings highlighted the importance of recognizing male victimization and developing context-specific support mechanismsenMale VictimsDomestic ViolenceResponsesHelp-Seeking BehaviourMasculinity Norms.How different forms of domestic violence shape men’s responses: unpacking the hidden dynamics of male victimhood in Kigamboni, TanzaniaArticle