Helping The Perpetrator

Violence against Women participants explored what they termed "good practices" in developing perpetrator programmes for domestic violence". Here are the principles they arrived at.

1.
In developing perpetrator programmes for men, the needs and safety of women must be the first priority.All aspects of project development and management should be monitored to ensure that they do not endanger the safety or well being of survivors/victims of domestic violence.

2.
The perpetrator is responsible for the abuse, not the survivor/victim. Perpetrators must be held accountable for their violence and abusive behaviour.

3.
Perpetrator programmes should only be set up if there are local independent refuge and support services for women and children. Programmes must be developed in consultation with these services. Where there are no services on domestic violence, refuge and outreach services must be developed first, as well as multi-agency responses before establishing progammes for perpetrators. Men’s perpetrator programmes should work in co-operation with the women’s services.

4.
Domestic violence is a criminal offence and the apporpriate laws should be used. Perpetrator programmes should not replace effective action against perpetrators under the criminal act, and must not be a diversion from the court process.

5.
All programmes should be monitored and evaluated to ensure they improve the safety of women and are effective in changing men’s beliefs. The evaluation must not rely on self-reports, but where possible should be checked against women (ex) partner accounts and other evidence.

6.
The definition of domestic violence used in work with men should recognise that violence against women includes psychological, sexual, economic as well as physical abuse. It can involve a range of controlling behaviours that are not overtly violent.

7.
Programmes should be committed to re-educating violent men to change their belief that they have a right to control and abuse their (ex) partner. If the perpetrator has a need for other types of intervention (e.g. alcohol problem) these must not replace the main re-education programme.

8. Perpetrators’ programmes should be part of a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to violence against women, involving police, criminal justice and social welfare agencies. There should be written policy agreements between agencies and practitioners from each agency should receive training in understanding domestic violence.

9.
Women survivors must be given complete confidentiality and kept informed about sources of help, the programme structure, progress and attendance of the perpetrator. Women and children’s safety overrides any guarantee of confidentiality to the perpetrator. If there is any perceived risk the projects must inform anyone at risk as well as law enforcement and other agencies. Protocols must be developed among agencies about sharing information concerning the perpetrator.

10.
Mechanisms must be established to ensure that survivors and victims are given full information about how the perpetrator programmes work and must have the opportunity to give feedback on the effect of the programme and any concerns they have.

11.
Child protectionmust be integrated into all programmes.

12.
The funding of perpetrator programmes hsould not be given at the expense of services for survivors and victims. Men’s programmes should be funded under a different budget line from funding for victim services.

13.
Programmes should only be developed after proper investigation to establish the most effective methods and approaches that have been monitored and evaluated in other programmes. The minimum length of programmes should be once a week for 12 months. Short-term programmes are not enough and may actually be dangerous. Programmes need to include both individual and group work; group work must be a mandatory part of the programme.

14.
Perpetrator programmes are only a small part of the work to change men’s attitudes to violence against women. Public awareness and education campaigns must also be developed locally and nationally.

15.
Domestic violence is a public not a private matter. The safety and welfare of the survivors must take precedence over attempts to maintain the family as a unit. The human rights of women to have freedom from violence and abuse must be recognised as their right as individuals, not just as the mothers of children.