A Review of Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes in the United Kingdom

29 April 2019 3 mins read Deanne Mitchell Families/Parenting Safeguarding and child protection

This article looks at the issue of programmes that work with perpetrators of domestic violence, considering approaches used and the limitations of research. This includes a study of feminist theory; and the general conclusion that more evidence-based studies are needed.

Report by Elizabeth Bates et al, Partner Abuse, 8 (2017)

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Cumbria, reviewed current interventions or programmes for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators within the UK. The authors of this paper say that the evidence for the effectiveness of current provision is mixed, and can often depend on the ideological beliefs of the authors.

Approach and findings

A common feature of all the treatment programmes included in the review is that they all used a group setting to deliver treatment and interventions to perpetrators. The length of programmes varies widely, with an average across the providers of 29 sessions. In total, 42 per cent of providers ran sessions once a week, and 81 per cent of organisations served only male perpetrators in their provision. Three providers said the number of male to female perpetrators was around 50/50 but only a small number of organisations actually served women.

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