Responding to men who perpetrate domestic violence: controversies, interventions and challenges

This paper endeavours to review the range and effectiveness of perpetrator programmes in place internationally in view of the increasing interest in Australia in the development of similar programmes. A preliminary section describes three explanatory perspectives on male violence in intimate relationships and the types of interventions which have been developed in response to these constructions. In the main section, programmes using an experimental research design, recent quasi-experimental evaluation studies and perpetrator programmes within a co-ordinated response to domestic violence are offered for comparison. Some of the challenges for intervention which present themselves are examined: appropriate responses to indigenous family violence, cross-cultural perspectives and developing methodologies for measuring changes in the safety of women and children while programmes are ongoing. An extensive bibliography is included.