Men’s behaviour change programs are key to addressing domestic violence – our new study shows how we can improve them

Men’s violence against women in Australia is recognised as a national crisis. We urgently need to better-understand what can be done to prevent it and intervene effectively.

There’s a need to hold perpetrators to account for their abusive behaviour. This is set out in the National Plan to end Violence against Women and Children. Men’s behaviour change programs are a key component of the broader strategy to hold men accountable for their actions and prevent future abuse.

While there’s been an increase in funding for these programs in recent years, there’s still limited understanding of whether perpetrators engage in these programs, and why. Our research, released today, provides new evidence on what’s needed to improve the efficacy of behaviour change programs with the goal of improving women and children’s safety.

Our study

For this study, we interviewed and surveyed men who had participated in a behaviour change program to understand what their experiences were like. We also interviewed family members of participants and practitioners who deliver the programs. While data collection was conducted in Victoria, our findings are relevant to all Australian states and territories.

We found engagement is influenced by many factors, including how ready individuals were to change their behaviours and attitudes, how motivated they were, what referral pathways they had come through, and what external support systems they had in place.

In our interviews, many victim-survivors were sceptical about “engagement” and what it means. Family members often pointed out the need to distinguish between attendance, engagement, and completion.

They noted each of these concepts refer to different things, and that one does not imply the other. Program completion, for example, should not be construed as success.

Most family members questioned whether participants ever genuinely engage with a program.

Housing impacts engagement

Our study sought to better-understand what factors impact a person’s level of engagement in a behaviour change program.

We found that housing instability is a key risk factor for disengagement. Housing stability is crucial for program eligibility, and for supporting attendance, engagement and program completion.

Practitioners reflected that where men do not have stable accommodation, they’re more likely to skip group sessions and exit the program early. It’s then highly challenging to monitor and manage their ongoing risk where no fixed address is provided.

There was clear recognition among practitioners that there are limited housing supports available for people who use violence, placing a burden on men’s services to identify accommodation options for program participants.

Court referrals and issues with motivation

Our study identified significant challenges to engaging men who are required (mandated) by the court to attend a behaviour change program. This is a main referral pathway. We need to understand how it can be more effectively used.

Practitioners reflected that court-mandated participants often have low attendance and engagement with program content. This was confirmed by the family members we interviewed, who spoke about how participants who were mandated to go to a program often didn’t want to take responsibility for their actions.

These participants were often seen as motivated primarily by self-serving outcomes, such as gaining access to children, complying with court orders, or avoiding further criminal justice intervention.

Read more: Why the work to hold family violence perpetrators accountable is only just beginning

There was a perception these men were not genuinely motivated to change their behaviours. Family members and practitioners viewed this as problematic. The court order might initiate attendance, but didn’t guarantee longer-term engagement.

This finding is perhaps unsurprising given these men had not opted to attend voluntarily. It highlights that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and we need to understand what interventions are effective for whom, and what else may be needed.

Follow-up support needed

Our study showed while programs are a core intervention, they shouldn’t be considered the be-all and end-all.

One in four of the men we surveyed told us they were seeking additional support after completing a behaviour change program. One in six were planning to do another program but were not yet enrolled. And one in 20 were already enrolled or on a waiting list for another program.

People who use violence currently don’t have consistent access to post-program support. This impacts the system’s ability to keep perpetrators in view, and support longer-term behaviour and attitudinal change. Family members told us support after the program is particularly important when children are involved, as it can provide additional oversight.

Many practitioners recognised the value of post-program support, but noted they lacked the resources to provide this service. There needs to be better resourcing to help provide this.

What now?

Our research shows the current approach to working with perpetrators is missing opportunities to more effectively engage men in behaviour change, keep their risk visible and hold them to account. These missed opportunities represent important moments where victim-survivor safety could be improved.

State governments need to consider expanding housing options for people who have been removed from their primary residence, potentially as part of an intervention order. This should be seen as part of the wider strategy for people who use violence. Importantly, this should not come at the cost of providing adequate accommodation services for victim-survivors.

Read more: Domestic violence disclosure schemes may not improve safety for victim-survivors of intimate partner violence

We need to better-understand how court-mandated participants can effectively engage with behaviour change programs, or if alternative interventions are necessary to meet their needs and hold them accountable.

We recommend that as part of holding program participants to account, program providers should submit a completion report to the court when a participant exits a program. These reports should be used by the courts to inform future judicial decisions involving the person using violence.

Improving current practices requires sustained funding models and a more comprehensive approach to engaging people who use violence in behaviour change. These programs are important, but they’re only one part of a much-needed suite of interventions to address domestic and family violence.

This article originally appeared on The Conversation.