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Gender and violence attitudes. Emerging themes from client interviews after a Men’s Behaviour Change ProgramRebecca Gray & Tim BroadyFRSA November 2015

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• Men’s Behaviour Change Programs• Literature review: gender, violence, behaviour

change• Evaluating Programs• Research aims and methods• Findings• Client accounts of what changed• Client’s gender attitudes• Recommendations

Overview

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Men’s behaviour change programs• Based in community or corrections settings• Weekly groups for between 12-27 weeks• Psychoeducational and process oriented

interventions• Aim to cease violence and increase accountability • Periodic contact with women for verification

• Not standardised• Not widely available

Programs

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Behaviour Change• Is different for different men, happens at different

times• Some men need multiple interventions

• Clients are adult survivors of their own family violence

• Motivating and retaining the clients is a key task

Programs

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Taking Responsibility• Aims to assist men who use violence and abuse• Adopt alternative ways of relating• Adjust attitudes and behaviours• 18 week group with 3 individual sessions

• Support group for women and phone checks• Kidspace is the group for children

Programs

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Taking Responsibility and Gender attitudes• Gendered co-facilitation

– Defamiliarise gendered stereotypes• Group discussion

– Discuss the role of gender in domestic violence– Reflect upon their own experience as “victims” of family

violence• Respectful confrontations or challenges

– Spontaneous discussion as “sexism” emerges• Experiential exercises

– Role play exercises: clients adopt the role of the “victim”

(See Elvery (2015) STOP Domestic Violence poster presentation)

Programs

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Gender and violenceVicHealth research found three themes: 1. Gender inequality2. Rigid gender roles3. Violence supportive attitudes

UN Women, Investing in Gender Inequality: Ending Violence Against Women (2010) found:Countries with low equality scores have a greater prevalence of violence against women.

Literature Review

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Research on attitudes?• Associated with higher prevalence (Das et al.,

2012; Braaf 2012)• Attitudes are transmitted across generations, by

watching parents (Erikson & Mazerolle, 2015; Fulu, 2013; Peacock & Barker, 2014; Fleming et al., 2013)

• Measure implicit / explicit attitudes (Eckhart et al., 2012)

Where do MBCPs fit here?• Lack of information to guide practitioners• Well designed programs can change attitudes

(Peacock & Barker, 2014)

Literature Review

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Successful Interventions by Peacock and Barker (2014)1. Affirming language2. Allow clients to reflect on hegemonic masculinity

(practices that promote the dominant social position of men)

3. Evidence based4. Understand the diversity among clients5. Ecological approach

(recognises wide range of factors)6. Use a range of social change strategies

*Engage men as fathers rather than perpetrators*

Literature Review

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Evaluating Behaviour Change Programs• They are under evaluated and hard to evaluate• Lack control groups, comparable groups and

follow up• Research has used narrow measures

(Westmarland, Kelly & Chalder-Hills, 2010)

• Even in situations where the client is showing little or no change, the women and children are safer due to increased contact and surveillance (see Day, O’Leary, Chung & Justo, 2009)

Literature Review

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6 key client outcomes which indicate success in MBCPs (Westmarland, Kelly & Chalder-Hills 2010):1. Respectful relationship2. Expanded space for action3. Victim access to support and decreased isolation4. Enhanced parenting5. Reduction/cessation of violence and abuse6. Understand the impact of domestic violence

Literature Review

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AimsTo explore the outcomes and impact of the program

MethodsMixed methods study that gathered pre and post-program surveys on Psychological Distress, Mastery, Self Esteem and Gender Equity.

Qualitative telephone interviews with clients (men) and their partners and former partners (women) at completion.

Evaluation

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SurveysSelf esteem, psychological distress and mastery improved. Gender equity scores did not change.

InterviewsMen’s narratives were more complex. Some expressed significant change in their attitudes and behaviours. A few accounts, however, were more contradictory.

Findings

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Men’s accounts of change:• Therapeutic relationships• Visual aids and CBT tools• Motivation to change shifts and is on a continuumWomen’s accounts of change:• Reported feeling safer. Increases in verbal abuse• Do not “trust” that the changes are authentic• Shifting knowledge about “healthy relationships”

*Pseudonyms use throughout*

Findings

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Change increases motivation to changeJust seeing the impact of your behaviour. And kind of, we […] came up with what we felt the other person was going through. And seeing it there collectively and the sequence it happened in, it was like, “My God. What the hell am I doing? Why would I wanna be doing that?” (Hugo)

I certainly know what it’s like to be respectful now because I actually like the bloke I am whereas before I didn’t. Now… yeah, I’m happy with meself as a man, father, partner, yep. I’m real happy actually. (Eddie)

Motivation

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Self improvementI’m much more comfortable in my own skin now, and feel I have a worth, or a right to my position, and that I don’t have to force it on others. (Hugo)

It’s just good to know that people actually want to spend time with me now. Before, people only spent time with me ‘cause they had to, or they didn’t want to be rude. […] I feel now that I’m very strong, very motivated, and very worthy person […] The course helped me to realise that I am just as valuable as any other person. (Parker)

Motivation

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Ability to empathiseYeah, being able to put myself in my partner’s shoes was certainly a contributing factor to the- not just for my partner but also for the snowball effect as in kids, family, in-laws, you name it, friends, it just snowballed to everything, which was, y’ know, un- ignorance on my part, unbeknown to me but as I say, now I’m aware of it I’m sorta, I’m well under way to rectifying it. (Eddie)

Motivation

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Her words were she feels she can have a say without being judged, and that I can have my say without blaming her… So she’s certainly noticing the difference, but […] she doesn’t know whether she can trust it… But we can talk about it. I can say: “Well, you know, I’ve created that,” If for ten years you’ve had these volatile reactions that come out of the blue. Essentially I’ve conditioned her. […] I can own my own improvement and I can feel I’ve improved, and her not believing or seeing that, I can see it’s coming from that fear, from that history, you know? And I have to be patient and let her have that. (Hugo)

Gender attitudes

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Contradictory expressions of changeCertainly, my values changed. [The program] made me reassess my values in terms of how I view my wife or my kids. I don’t need to have control of everything. I can let my wife take control of more things. But [my wife’s reaction] is completely disproportionate. (Felix)

Gender attitudes

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Contradictory expressions of changeI mean that’s one of the reasons I did the course, to confront and address my issues. And that’s why I’ll just have to keep on moving forward. I hope that, you know, how do I put it? That I’ll find enjoyment out of something. I may not be in a relationship with my wife, but I’ve got to sort it myself, and anyway I haven’t been overly impressed with her at this stage. (Jett)

Gender attitudes

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Entangled with relationship dynamicsIt sorta depends if she’s gonna be civil or not. But yeah, not to her, just in talk to me wife, y’ know, might say, “Oh the bitch won’t let me have my son on the weekend”. (Baz)

You know, I’ve gotta be reasonable in unreasonable circumstances and, obviously, be mindful that there’s still quite a bit of hurt there and obviously reluctance. But at the same time I just think that she’s getting dragged along into all the legal elements and advice from DoCS potentially, and her solicitor. (Felix)

Gender attitudes

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Well basically she has chosen in her mind that things can’t be repaired when in, I know that a lot of things can be repaired, especially with the way we talk to one another and share with one another. But unfortunately my partner, […] after 12 years of marriage, decided not to pursue it any more. […] She thinks that she’s not that way inclined […] especially the way she can relate and talk, and rip into me verbally, I mean it’s just beyond a joke. (Preston)

Gender attitudes

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Tied to notions of masculinityAs a child my father was, you know: ‘the man’s job is the provider’ and that sort of thing, y’ know? So [the program] changed my view about all that sort of stuff. (Anton)

You do is what your parents do pretty much, y’ know? I know we all say that we don’t, but they’re our teachers. So havin’ a look at the way your parents are is usually the way you take life on. I guess it’s hard to break the cycle, break the chain. (Anton)

Gender attitudes

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Family of origin influences I’m a big believer, it’s kind of stuff you’ve learnt from your childhood. You kinda treat as you were treated, if that makes sense? But once you, you know, shine a light on it and expose it, you realise how negative [it is] (Hugo)

‘Cause I’ve got a lot of childhood issues[…] My problem is how my father bashed me up. And that’s helped, doin’ the course […] In the group there’s fathers out there just tryin’. We weren’t raised to do this stuff. Our fathers were at the pubs and stuff. […] We don’t know what to do. (Heath)

Gender attitudes

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Emasculation and shame‘Cause it ain’t always the bloke who’s in the wrong, y’ know what I mean? Us blokes, we always get f***in’ bent over and rooted and mate, it ain’t always our fault. (Ian)

I’m ashamed of my behaviour from the past. I’m glad of what’s happening now, on the road to recovery. (Ziggy)

I still have moments of, where I feel vulnerable, obviously through some of the things that I’ve inflicted on my partner, but […] I won’t ever forgive myself basically. (Martin)

Gender attitudes

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• Explore the use of gender equity scores• Expand surveys

– For example, implicit and explicit measures• Imperative to seek verification from women • Design interventions which address attitudes to

gender• And the association with violent behaviour• Test the impact of these interventions

Recommendations

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Gray, R.M. & Broady, T.R. (2015, November) Gender and violence attitudes: emerging themes from client interviews after a Men’s Behaviour Change Program. Future of Families: Preparing for Change, FRSA National Conference. Brisbane, Australia: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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