Supporting women and challenging men: Lessons from the Domestic Violence Intervention Project

Domestic violence is recognised as a pervasive problem. It is a widespread, ongoing, consistent social occurrence which cuts across every social and cultural division in our communities.This report evaluates the Domestic Violence Intervention Project (based in Hammersmith and Fulham) which provides two parallel services: a Women's Support Service for women who have experienced domestic violence and a Violence Prevention Programme working with violent men.The issues addressed are:the effectiveness of violence prevention work with men who are violent towards their partner/wife;the usefulness of a violence prevention programme as a sentencing option for the courts;the impact on women's safety of a violence prevention programme for men and provision of ongoing community-based support;the outcomes of the violence prevention programme for men who are mandated on to the programme by the courts and those who attend on a voluntary basis.The researchers conclude that there are no simple solutions to domestic violence, nor models of response which are effective for all abused women or all abusive men. However, experimentation, innovation and evaluation of such services increase our knowledge and understanding, and, perhaps most importantly, extend options for women.The findings of this report will be of interest to those involved in support services for survivors of domestic violence, especially Women's Aid and Victim Support. It deals with key issues faced by policy makers involved in developing programmes aimed at addressing men's violence and abuse and will be of great value to those involved in domestic violence issues within the criminal justice system generally and probation specifically.