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Media Release

October 1, 2004

Can men’s anti-violence programs stop domestic violence?

Global Social Work Congress – October 2 – 5


Can programs for men who have been perpetrators of violence work – not unless there are consequences for re-offending says UniSA expert in gendered violence, Dr Donna Chung.

Speaking at the Global Social Work Congress being held at the Adelaide Convention Centre this weekend (October 2 – 5), Dr Chung says men’s programs designed to deal with violence against women can not be effective unless work is done to ensure quality programs are integrated with the court system and police, with significant involvement from women’s services.

“When we know that 88 per cent of intimate homicides occur in the home and that 75 per cent of those murdered by a partner are women, we need to get very serious about the kinds of programs used with perpetrators of domestic violence – the risks in getting it wrong are too high,” Dr Chung says.

“Evidence on the effectiveness of such programs is still pretty sketchy and contentious and many evaluations fail even to consider women’s reports of violence against them, but in one of the largest evaluation studies conducted recently some 40 per cent of men involved in programs to stop their violence re-assaulted within 15 months. Followed up 30 months later two men in the programs had actually murdered their partners.”

Chung said one of the worst consequences of such programs was that they raised the expectations of women who have been victims.

“Many women, especially when they have children with a partner, want their relationship to work so it follows that when they find their partner is booked into a perpetrator program they often feel a sense of relief – they believe their partners will improve and stop hitting them,” she said.

“Sometimes men do become less violent and more aware of the consequences of violence and sometimes they don’t – for some women the fact that a partner’s violence has finally been acknowledged by others gives them the opportunity to leave the relationship.

“Violence against women is on the rise nationally and internationally and to some extent I think researchers have felt they are whistling in the wind when they recommend changes that just don’t seem to be happening quickly enough.

“For perpetrator programs to work there needs to be a much more integrated approach to the whole issue of domestic violence – so that police, the court system and the social service providers of counselling and such programs are working together. It is also imperative that women’s experience of violence is seen for what it is – an act of assault – not something for which the woman is responsible.

“We also need to look at the messages we are sending when there are such few consequences for men who re-offend. What actually happens at the end of the process – domestic violence is reported, a restraining order may be put in place, it is recommended that the perpetrator enters a program, later he is violent again and nothing much happens – the abuse continues either with the same partner or a new partner.”

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