Processes of change in a group intervention for domestic violence perpetrators: a secondary qualitative analysis
Funding
National Institute for Health (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Ref. PB-PG-1217-20027
What is the research question?
Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) damages health and wellbeing. It has an impact on the lives of adults and children, and as well as causing immense misery, can increase the risk of long-term health problems, especially mental illness. DVA can result in significant financial costs to individuals and society. However, although support for DVA victims is widely available, we don’t really know how best to encourage perpetrators to understand and accept that they have been abusive or how to help them change their behaviour.
What is the problem?
Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) damages health and wellbeing. It has an impact on the lives of adults and children, and as well as causing immense misery, can increase the risk of long-term health problems, especially mental illness. DVA can result in significant financial costs to individuals and society. However, although support for DVA victims is widely available, we don’t really know how best to encourage perpetrators to understand and accept that they have been abusive or how to help them change their behaviour.
What is the aim of the research?
This study will provide a unique opportunity to look in detail at how domestic violence perpetrator programmes work. This will be valuable for developing future programmes. Understanding how men talk about and explain their abusive behaviour is useful and important when trying to find ways to reduce abuse. Also, the study findings may help to encourage more people to recognise that they are perpetrators or victims/ survivors of abuse and to get help.
How will this be achieved?
This study will involve looking at videos of group sessions from REPROVIDE, a community-based domestic violence perpetrator programme (DVPP) for male perpetrators, run as part of a research study. DVPPs aim to help people who are abusive towards their partners or ex-partners to change their behaviour. DVPP sessions take place weekly, and it is standard practice for them to be videoed. We have permission of the men taking part to analyse the videos. Working with relevant experts, we will watch the videos and closely examine selected parts. We will listen to how men talk about their abusive behaviour and how the group facilitators encourage the men to start thinking and behaving in different, non-abusive, ways.
Who is leading the research?
Dr Helen Cramer, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol.
Further information:
For more information or to get involved in this project, please contact bnssg.research@nhs.net.
The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.