uk domestic violence perpetrator programmes: doing and ... · •dvpps subject to more intense...

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UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and Undoing Gender Funded by: the Economic and Social Research Council [grant reference ES/HO38086/1] and the Northern Rock Foundation [grant reference 20080739] Dr. Julia Downes (Open University) Prof. Liz Kelly (Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit) Prof. Nicole Westmarland (Durham University)

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Page 1: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator

Programmes: Doing and Undoing

Gender

Funded by: the Economic and

Social Research Council

[grant reference ES/HO38086/1]

and the Northern Rock Foundation

[grant reference 20080739]

Dr. Julia Downes (Open University)

Prof. Liz Kelly (Child and Woman

Abuse Studies Unit)

Prof. Nicole Westmarland (Durham

University)

Page 2: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

The story so far

• Widespread skepticism, from multiple directions, about

the ability for men who use violence to change.

• DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other

responses.

• Internationally, research shows mixed results.

• Limited research in the UK – particularly Scotland - is

fairly positive.

• UK specific model – both inside and outside the CJS.

Page 3: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Istanbul convention

State parties should –

•‘Set up or support programmes aimed at teaching

perpetrators of domestic violence to adopt non-violent

behaviours.’

•‘Shall ensure that the safety of, and support for, the

human rights of victims are of primary concern and that,

where appropriate, these programmes are set up and

implemented in close coordination with specialist services

for victims.’

Page 4: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Project Mirabal

• Broad and long programme of research.

• Main aim – to understand what DVPPs contribute to

coordinated community approaches to domestic

violence.

• Other benefits

• Today 1. brief overview of main findings 2. focus on gender analysis

Page 5: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

What counts as success?

1. An improved relationship between men on programmes and their

partners/ex-partners which is underpinned by respect and

effective communication.

2. For partners/ex-partners to have an expanded ‘space for action’

which empowers through restoring their voice and ability to make

choices, whilst improving their well being.

3. Safety and freedom from violence and abuse for women and

children.

4. Safe, positive and shared parenting.

5. Enhanced awareness of self and others for men on programmes,

including an understanding of the impact that domestic violence

has had on their partner and children.

6. For children, safer, healthier childhoods in which they feel heard

and cared about.

Page 6: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Research design

Longitudinal telephone survey (quantitative)

• 100 women whose partners or ex-partners had attended a

programme

• Women whose partners or ex-partners had not attended a

programme

• Before the programme to 12 months after the start date.

• 5 interviews covering 6 time points.

Longitudinal in-depth interviews (qualitative)

• 64 men on programmes

48 partners or ex partners of men on programmes

• 2 interviews near the start and the end of the programme

Page 7: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

For the majority of women whose partners and

ex-partners attended a DVPP, the physical and

sexual violence stopped completely.

94

87

54

50

59

29

30

23

7

2

2

10

0

0

Punched or kicked walls or furniture, slammed doors, smashed things or stamped around

Slapped you, pushed you, or thrown something at you

Punched, kicked, burnt, or beaten you

Tried to strangle, choke, drown, or smother you

Threatened to kill you or someone close to you

Used a weapon against you

Made you do something sexual that you did not want to do

Physical and sexual violence (% yes)

12 months Baseline

Page 8: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Whilst the use of harassment and abuse also

showed strong and consistent decreases, it

remained in the lives of around half the women.

68

34

64

91

69

90

28

7

9

48

27

41

Harassed you using letters, emails, texts or phone calls

Followed you or waited outside your home or workplace

Deliberately interfered with or damaged your property

Insulted you or made you feel bad about yourself

Belittled or humiliated you in front of other people.

Did things that scared or intimidated you

Harassment and other abusive acts (% yes)

12 months Baseline

Page 9: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Expanded space for action

65

80

68

56

50

62

55

57

64

49

96

91

15

48

31

12

47

22

16

13

21

10

75

65

Tries to prevent me seeing or contacting my friends/family

Insists on knowing where I am or what I am doing

Is suspicious that I have been with another man/someone else

Tries to prevent me participating in activities or groups outside the home

Tries to use money/finances to control me

Tries to look at my messages and contacts

Prescribes or criticises the way housework is done

Tells me to change the way I dress or my appearance

Tries to restrict where I go

Makes the final decision about whether people can visit/stay in the house

I feel like I have to be very careful around DVP if he is in a bad mood

I feel afraid of how DVP would react if I got a new partner

Space for action (%)

Month 12 Baseline

Page 10: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Self-perceived safety

32

39

21

8 6

13

30

51

Not safe at all A little unsafe Somewhat safe Very safe

Figure 6. How safe do you feel? (%)

Baseline 12 months

Page 11: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Domestic violence as a

gendered project • Coercive control

“The main means used to establish control is the micro-

regulation of everyday behaviours associated with

stereotypic female roles, such as how women dress,

cook, clean, socialize, care for their children, or perform

sexually. This is accomplished by exploiting the

benefits women derive from their newfound equality”

(Stark 2007, p. 5)

Page 12: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Domestic violence and the

constitution of masculinities • Hegemonic masculinity (Hearn 1998; Dobash et al

2000; Messerschmidt 1993, 1997, 2000)

• Denial, minimisation and blame of violence with

condemnation of other’s use of violence (Hearn 1998;

Dobash et al 2000; Cavanagh et al 2001; Anderson &

Umberson 2001; Gadd 2002)

• Ambivalent social and cultural attitudes about men’s

violence against women and girls (Burton & Kitzinger

1998; Lombard 2011)

• Self-protective, self-affirming and defensive functions of

violence (Gadd 2002, 2003, 2012; Gadd & Farrall

2004)

Page 13: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Research methods

• Interview schedule

1: Introduction and gender

2: Adapted critical incident technique

3: Programme specific

• Gender questions

Can you tell me what being a woman means to you,

for example what is and is not expected of you?

What do you think it means to be a man, for

example what is expected or not expected of them?

What kind of woman do you think [name of partner/

ex-partner] wanted you to be?

Page 14: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Qualitative Interview Sample

• Self-selected volunteer sample 11 DVPPs

• 112 participants: 64 men and 48 women took part in

the first interview

• Sample attrition 36 (56%) men and 26 (54%) women

completed the second interview

• Relationship status: 44% still in the relationship and

56% had separated.

• Children: 92% participants had children

• Ethnicity: 88% self-identified as White with 5% as

Asian, 5% Mixed, 1% Black and 1% refused.

• Age: 64% between 30-49.

Page 15: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Talking about gender

• 56 participants spoke about gender equality (41 men

and 15 women)

• 18 participants referred to gender inequality in their

lives (11 women and 7 men)

• Distance self from out-dated masculine roles:

“I don’t see myself like a lot of my friends, who – aim to

be men – manly men. I don’t feel I need to have to do

that, I just feel I need to be human, and so I don’t have

put myself into a gender role […] I’m not your typical,

go down the pub sort of guy and go and watch the

football, or go and swill beer all night, I’m not into that

category really.” (Gregory)

Page 16: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

To protect and provide

“I believe what’s expected of a man is that he’s supposed

to be masculine, take care of his family, protect his

family.” (Roger)

“I expected him to have a typical role as a man like to

treat his kids nicely and just to keep us secure and safe, I

think that’s what I solely expected of him, the one thing

that I wanted from him.” (Gina)

“Expected of me in a family sense I suppose would be to

look after your family, provide for your family […] From a

society point of view… probably about being strong, not

showing weakness.”(Todd)

Page 17: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Failing masculinities

“I didn’t know what [ex-partner] wanted from me because

I believe… believe… I still believe that I made mistakes…

but the good things that I did far outweighed the bad

things that I did and I just never seemed to be able to

make her happy which put pressure on me cos I was

constantly thinking ‘Why am I not making you happy?

Why am I not good enough?” (Brendan)

Page 18: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Harms of the hegemonic

project

“My boys have never seen me cry or be upset before any

of this happened… never… and they have seen [his ex-

partner] cry and be upset which may or may not be

healthy but actually they know that she has the full range

of emotions… whereas for me I would… if I was ever in

that situation feel as though I ought to turn round, walk

away, swallow hard and not let them see that.” (Evan)

Page 19: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Men’s resistance to change

“I would like to get away from the word “control” and I

would say more leadership qualities? So I would like to

say that I would like to lead people in the right direction,

rather than control them and force them and manipulate

them, and I think that would be from – especially from

running a business. I try to lead people down the right

paths of – by teaching them and helping them rather than

trying to control them. I would say that – that’s the type

of person that I more am than a – a control freak person.

I don’t try to insist that you have to do this my way or that

you don’t do it any way. This would be the right way to

do the things if you would try – try it. That’s what I’d

rather say.” (Gregory)

Page 20: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Failing femininities

“I love being a woman... I’ve always been quite a

feminist […] I’m proud to be a woman… and I love the

fact that I have a daughter and I want to empower her as

well. […] being a mum has taught me an awful lot about

myself... and about my strengths... and a huge facet of

myself that I didn’t know existed.” (Lindsay)

“if it was a girlfriend of mine I’d expect her to be feminine,

act like a woman not like a man. ‘Cos you get some

women that are full of tattoos, pissed up every day in the

pub, act more like blokes than they do women.” (Todd)

Page 21: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Gendered micromanagement

“I just wanted her to be basically – a mother to my son

and then like stay at home, do the house tidying, do

the shopping, and then basically – basically look after

me”. (Fred)

“I feel that I’m expected to do things as a woman,

whether I like it or not […] just have to be - you’re

meant to be feminine, you’re not meant to be ill, you’re

meant to wash and clean and – and just be a typical

1950s housewife”. (Alice)

Page 22: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Gendered micromanagement

“I mean like he wanted me to perform when he wanted [me]

to, he wanted me to stay at home with the kids and not have

any life outside him. I wasn’t allowed to… an example is

say if I got my hair done… which was so, so rare… then he

would want to know why ‘Why have you got your hair done?

Who’ve you got your hair done for?’ But when we’d be

going somewhere together - or say for our wedding - he

wanted me to look gorgeous, perfect and he’d throw money

at me to be able to do these things, so it was when it suited

him. He wanted me to be like a… like a doll for him

basically and he wanted me to do what he wanted… say

when his family were around I had to keep up this pretence

that I was the perfect wife… I think he just wanted someone

that he could like… press the ‘off’ button on.” (Holly)

Page 23: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Gendered micromanagement

“it was quite – quite intense, because it sort of

progressed and I just found myself getting smaller as a

person, and didn’t want to speak any more, I was walking

around on eggshells, and I was going within myself and

being withdrawn, and depressed” (Adele)

“I know in my relationship I was…being a woman…I

was seen as a lower class of person, and I was

expected to do the housework and have that role

of…you know, domesticated. And I think in that

relationship I did believe that I should be like that” (Lily)

Page 24: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Safety work

“I make choices walking on eggshells, really, and I’m very

picky and choosy with what information I give him […] I totally

have to think five steps ahead. And it could go one of many

ways: it would either be financial or it would be ‘It’s OK for you,

you have school holidays off, I have to work’, they’re the next

set of circumstances I often get if I do something with the kids

in the school holidays. Or it – it would be ‘I don’t get those

opportunities, it’s not fair’ […] ‘Well you don’t wanna do it with

me, you’d rather do it with your kids, wouldn’t you?’ And that’s

the kind of thing I get, which again I was kind of expecting that.

[…] But I have to justify: ‘Oh, you know, it would be so much

different with you because – because’. I have to like minimise

what I do with my kids, and maximise how much better it

would be to do it with him.” (Alice)

Page 25: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Undoing gender

• Recognising harm

“Controlling behaviour… it’d be getting my own way, it’d be

badgering her to come round to my way of thinking... getting

everything, if you like, on my terms... and if I don’t get things

on my terms that’s when you start sulking and shouting...

putting pressure on the other person to come round to your

way of thinking”.

“if she was arguing with me now I’d stop and think why. The

thing is she’s trying to get the point across to me. Now I

wouldn’t argue back and it’s like I’ve got to stop and think and

ask ‘Why is she arguing? Why is she shouting?’ which then

changes my point of view or my thinking.” (Todd)

Page 26: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Undoing gender

• Doing own emotional work

“If I look back on my previous relationships, if I didn’t hear from

my partner or something, then I’d start – I’ll start panicking and

then I’ll start accusing them of stuff, but now I step aside and

just let them have their own space, and, then I just wait till they

contact me when they’ve got the time to do it”. (Fred)

“I feel relaxed, I don’t feel like he’s putting stuff on me, I don’t

feel like he’s sucking the life out of me basically. He’s not like –

he’s his own entity, he doesn’t need me to prop him up and –

coz I really didn’t need a needy man – and he’s quite decisive

in things that he wants to do and not do and I like that, coz

he’s independent.” (Amy)

Page 27: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Expanded space for action

“But as a woman – just to go out and have the

expectation to go out, have fun with your friends, enjoy

life, the simple things in life […] Feel like you belong.

Feel like that you’re important […] And I’m – I’m getting

that now, and I really appreciate that … when it does

hit you it’s just lovely, it’s just that feeling of

satisfaction, that you’re getting something out of life

rather than just doing everything for everybody else

[…], it’s just enjoying that freedom I suppose.” (Matilda)

Page 28: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Expanded space for action

“It has opened me up as a person. I feel more

comfortable around men and women and I’m more open,

my heart is more open, I feel good within myself […] I still

want the love and togetherness. [New partner] has three

children and I can see now that she has got her children

and she has got to do things with her children and I

accept it more now. I’m not like me, me, me, I’m more

like them and we’re all together. It’s more of a together

thing rather than ‘I need this, I need that’, there’s none of

that anymore.” (Dexter)

Page 29: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Conclusion

• Rich empirical data to flesh out how and why gender

matters in lived experiences of domestic violence in

contemporary Britain

• Domestic violence as a gendered project

• Undoing gender: counter-hegemonic gender project

experienced as positive change

• Insights are useful in development of more effective

interventions

• Critiques of ‘real men’ stereotypes mobilised in violence

against women campaigns (Salter 2015)

Page 30: UK Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes: Doing and ... · •DVPPs subject to more intense scrutiny than other responses. •Internationally, research shows mixed results. •Limited

Publications

An electronic copy of the final report and other Project

Mirabal publications are available at:

www.dur.ac.uk/criva/projectmirabal

Dr. Julia Downes

The Open University

[email protected]

http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/main/staff/people-

profile.php?name=Julia_Downes