What is domestic Abuse/Violence?

The government defines domestic violence as “any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial nor emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.

Domestic abuse can include:

• Intimidation making your partner feel scared

• Physical such as hitting, pushing kicking

• Emotional such as name calling threats

• Sexual e.g. making your partner have sex when they don’t want to.

Criminal offences include;

• Assault

• Threat to kill

• Wounding

• Attempting to choke

• Harassment

• Rape and sexual assault.

The SAFE Project offers a programme for men who wish to address their abusive behaviour.
Separate support is offered to partners and children of men who are accessing the service.

We are a member of Respect* and follow Respect Guidelines and minimum standards.

This is not an anger management Programme

• Respect is the UK association for domestic violence perpetrator programmes and associated womens services with members form the voluntary, private and statutory sectors as well as individuals form England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Respect also has members based in the Republic of Ireland. The work of Respect and members reflects the fact that the majority of domestic violence is perpetrated by men against women.

Aims of work with men

The primary aim in working with perpetrators of domestic violence is to increase the safety of women and children.

Secondary aims are to:

• Hold men accountable for their violence towards women

• Promote respectful and egalitarian relationships

• Work with others to improve the community’s response to domestic violence

The project workers challenge men’s:

• Use of physical violence

• Use of sexual violence, sexual abuse and coercion

• Expectations of power and control over (ex) partners

• Denial, minimisation, justification and/or blame

• Attitudes and beliefs which support domestic violence and:

• Work in ways which are meaningful to men from different cultures and backgrounds

• Acknowledge and question the social and gendered context of domestic violence

• Develop men’s capacity to understand the impact of their violence on their (ex) partners and children both in the long and short term

• Develop men’s ability to have safe and appropriate contact with their children

• Encourage men to adopt positive, respectful and egalitarian ways of being

• Focus on men as perpetrators and not as victims

• Avoid collusion with perpetrators’ justifications for their behaviour