Alexandra Lysova, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver/Burnaby, Canada. Dr. Lysova earned her Doctor of Sciences degree in Sociology from the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg and her Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Toronto. She has been studying intimate partner violence and homicide for over 20 years in both Russia and Canada. Her research focuses on intimate partner violence and homicide, including violence against women, children, and men. Her work incorporates findings from international focus groups, the Canadian General Social Survey on Victimization, and the Homicide Survey. Dr. Lysova is a member of Statistics Canada’s Working Groups on gender-based violence and homicide. Her research has received support from prestigious organizations, including the Fulbright Foundation (USA), the Humboldt Foundation (Germany), and the Trudeau Foundation (Canada). She is the author or co-author of over 80 publications in Russian and English and has served as the principal investigator on several major grants. Dr. Lysova regularly presents her research at international conferences and is frequently featured in the media. In 2022, she was awarded the Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy for her groundbreaking research on men’s experiences of victimization.
Dr. Lysova has also been actively engaged in service to the university and was awarded the 2023 Leadership Award from Heterodox Academy in recognition of her work to protect academic freedom at Simon Fraser University and beyond. That same year, she led her campus in joining Heterodox Academy’s Campus Community Network. Lysova has served on the Senate and on various university-wide committees and working groups, working to ensure that academic freedom, open inquiry, and constructive disagreement remain central to SFU’s campus climate.
Complexities and Gaps in Intimate Partner Abuse Research
Dr. Lysova’s research career, spanning more than 20 years in Russia and currently in Canada, focuses on intimate partner violence and spousal homicide. While her research initially focused on intimate partner violence against women and children in Russia and internationally, her recent work has centered on men’s experiences of intimate partner violence, including victimization, help-seeking behavior, and issues involving children. She draws on the results of international focus groups, the Canadian General Social Survey on Victimization, and the Homicide Survey. Dr. Lysova has also served as a member of the Working Groups for Statistics Canada, focusing on gender-based violence and homicide.
Despite it being a controversial topic, Lysova persisted in hearing the voices of men who suffered from abuse and insisted on having an honest conversation about the bidirectionality of abuse and the experiences of abuse by individuals regardless of their gender. She authored two articles in The Conversation that discussed the implications of the Johnny Depp trial and called for more efforts to help male victims of domestic abuse. For this work, she was the recipient of the 2022 Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy.
“I thought I was going to kill myself, but part of me insisted that I get help”: Coping experiences of male survivors of intimate partner violence
2025
Evidence from Canadian population data and qualitative research highlights disparities in help-seeking, reliance on avoidant coping among male victims, and limited access to gender-inclusive services, underscoring the need for more nuanced, inclusive, and evidence-based approaches to understanding and addressing intimate partner abuse.
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Bidirectional and unidirectional intimate partner violence: A comprehensive review
2025
Evidence from multiple population, community, and clinical samples shows that bidirectional IPV is the most prevalent pattern, yet it remains underrecognized in research, policy, and practice. Persistent gendered assumptions obscure female-perpetrated violence, male victimization, and mutual dynamics, limiting accurate risk assessment and effective intervention.
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Rates of male and female physical victimization and perpetration in intimate relationships: A comprehensive review
2025
This comprehensive review synthesizes evidence from 246 studies published between 2012 and 2022 on male and female victimization and perpetration of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) in industrialized, English-speaking countries. Findings show that IPV remains a significant social and public health issue, but prevalence rates for both women and men have declined substantially over the past decade. The review also demonstrates persistent gender symmetry in IPV, ongoing underrecognition of male victimization and female perpetration, and important methodological gaps that limit effective prevention and intervention.
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Hanson, K. & Lysova, A. (2021). The father, the son, and the abuser: The portrayal of male victims of intimate partner homicide in the news media. Homicide Studies
2023
This study analyzes 203 English-language news articles on intimate partner homicide (IPH) involving male victims and female perpetrators published in 2019. Using thematic analysis, we identified two dominant media frames: doubting the victim and victim recognition. Findings show that male victims are frequently blamed, portrayed as non-ideal victims, or depicted as responsible for their own deaths through character derogation and victim precipitation. Although some articles humanize male victims, coverage largely reinforces gendered stereotypes, limiting public recognition of male victimization and potentially hindering prevention and support efforts.
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Internal and external barriers to help seeking: Voices of men who experienced abuse in the intimate relationships
2022
This qualitative study examines internal and external barriers to help seeking among 41 men from four English-speaking countries who experienced abuse by female intimate partners. Using online focus groups, the study identifies six key themes, including lack of abuse recognition, commitment to maintaining family relationships, masculine norms, fear of legal consequences, stigma, and the absence of gender-inclusive support services. The findings highlight systemic gaps in responses to intimate partner abuse and emphasize the need for public education, professional training, and accessible, gender-inclusive services to better support male victims.
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Severity of victimization and formal help seeking among men who experienced intimate partner violence in their ongoing relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(3-4), 1404-1429
2022
This study examines the severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by men in ongoing relationships in Canada and their use of formal and informal help-seeking strategies. Using nationally representative data from the 2009 and 2014 Canadian General Social Survey and latent class analysis, the study identifies four patterns of IPV severity, ranging from mild physical violence to severe physical and psychological abuse. While most male victims did not seek formal help, greater severity of IPV increased help seeking. Structural factors such as unemployment and residing with young children reduced formal help seeking, highlighting the need for gender-inclusive policies and services.
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Prevalence and consequences of intimate partner violence in Canada as measured by the national victimization survey. Partner Abuse, 10 (2), 199-221.
2019
Using data from the 2014 Canadian General Social Survey on Victimization, this study examines the prevalence, context, and consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) among men and women in current heterosexual relationships in Canada. Findings show that men were more likely than women to report physical IPV, while rates of severe controlling abuse (intimate terrorism) were similar across genders. Although women reported more injuries and short-term emotional impacts, men and women experienced comparable long-term trauma-related effects. The study highlights the need for inclusive, evidence-based approaches to IPV research and policy.
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What is Russia’s real homicide rate? Statistical reconstruction and the ‘decivilizing process’. Theoretical Criminology, 19(2), 257-277
2015
This article critically examines the accuracy of official homicide statistics in Russia, arguing that the sharp decline reported in the 2000s is largely an artifact of data misclassification and underreporting. Using reconstructed homicide estimates and multiple data sources, the study demonstrates that homicide rates were substantially higher and declined far more slowly than official figures suggest. Drawing on Norbert Elias’s concept of a decivilizing process, our study links persistently high violence to weak state institutions, diminished social trust, rising hostility, and the criminalization of economic life in post-Soviet Russia.
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Dramatic problems and weak policy. Trends in alcohol consumption, harms and policy: Russia 1990–2010. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 5(27), 425-447
2010
This article reviews trends in alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm, and policy responses in Russia between 1990 and 2010. Drawing on multiple national data sources, it shows that Russia has among the highest levels of alcohol consumption globally, characterized by heavy episodic drinking and a strong preference for spirits, particularly vodka. These patterns are closely linked to elevated rates of mortality, injury, family violence, homicide, and suicide. We argued that weak state regulation, market liberalization, and inconsistent alcohol policies have undermined prevention efforts, making alcohol-related harm a persistent national crisis.
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Binge drinking and violence against intimate partners in Russia. Aggressive Behaviour, 34, 416-427.
2008
This study examines the relationship between binge drinking and intimate partner violence (IPV) among 500 Russian university students using data from the International Dating Violence Study. Results show that women reported higher rates of IPV perpetration than men, and the association between binge drinking and IPV was stronger for women. Antisocial traits and behaviors partially mediated this relationship for women but not for men. The findings highlight gender differences in alcohol-related violence and underscore the importance of considering individual traits and cultural context when addressing IPV in Russia.
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Heterodox Academy Leadership Award
2023
This leadership award recognizes Dr. Lysova’s persistent and principled efforts to protect academic freedom at Simon Fraser University and across the academy.
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The Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy
2022
This award recognizes Dr. Lysova’s bravery in challenging social norms around male victims of domestic violence, as well as her dedicated research and contributions to our collective understanding of the complexities of domestic violence.
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Richard Ericson Award
2014
This award was given in recognition of Dr. Lysova’s research on women’s experiences of violence in Canada at the University of Toronto.
Barbara Frum Memorial Award in Canadian Studies
2011
This award was given in recognition of Dr. Lysova’s research on intimate partner violence at the University of Toronto.
Connaught International Scholarship
2010
This award and scholarship at the University of Toronto provided entrance funding in recognition of outstanding academic achievement.
Carnegie Research Fellowship Program
2009
This award and scholarship supported collaboration with Dr. Murray Straus on corporal punishment and abuse research at the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire.
German Chancellor Fellowship Program at Max Planck Institute
2006-2007
This award and scholarship supported collaboration with Dr. Helmut Kury on the study of violent crime in Russia and Germany.
The Best Young University Lecturer Award
2006
In recognition of teaching the courses "Psychological Counselling" and "Family violence" at the Far Eastern State University in the Russian Federation.
Excellency in Research Award and Medal of the Russian Academy of Sciences
2006
This award was given in recognition of Dr. Lysova’s research on dating violence in Russia.
Fulbright Fellowship Program at New York University
2003-2004
This award and scholarship supported collaboration with Dr. Murray Straus at the University of New Hampshire and Drs. Linda Mills and Jo Dixon at New York University on family violence research in the United States and Russia.
Library of Congress - Kennan Institute Award
2003
This award and scholarship supported research on domestic violence in the United States at the Library of Congress and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Open World Fellowship Program for “Women as leaders"
2002
This award was given in recognition of Dr. Lysova’s research and professional activities addressing violence against women in Russia.
