Domestic abuse group programme for men
What we did
Between 2017 and 2018 we developed, and successfully piloted, a domestic abuse perpetrator programme. The programme was group-based, non-mandatory and was developed in line with national RESPECT standards.
The pilot study took place in Bristol and was delivered by Splitz (a specialist third sector domestic abuse service provider), and Next Link (a specialist domestic abuse service for women), who provided support to the partners and ex-partners of those involved in the intervention group of the pilot.
The main aim of the pilot was to determine whether the study would be feasible on a larger scale and if successful the next step was to progress onto a full-scale trial – details of which can be found here.
What we found
As the pilot was a feasibility study, to determine whether this research was possible, we do not have ‘results’ as yet. In total 71 referrals were received from across the pilot trial site of Bristol. Referrals to the programme were received from agencies including Social/ Children’s Services, a men’s national helpline (
RESPECT), GPs and via self-referrals. A total of 36 men were recruited to the study as well as 15 of the men’s current or ex-partners.
Two-thirds of the men were randomised to a community-based domestic abuse perpetrator programme and one-third were randomised to a comparison group, (all of the latter did not attend the domestic abuse perpetrator programme and instead received ‘usual care’).
• We asked all participants to complete questionnaires at 3 different points over a 9-month period and we had approximately a 65% return rate of questionnaires from male participants.
• Inclusion of female partners/ ex-partners in the study was an important element of the pilot and we had approximately an 80% response rate to the questionnaires over the 9-month period.
• The domestic abuse perpetrator programme and trial design were broadly acceptable to all participants.
