Engaging in Change: A Victorian study of perpetrator program attrition and participant engagement in men’s behaviour change programs

Men's Behaviour Change Programs (MBCPs) are crucial components in the effort to enhance perpetrator accountability and reduce domestic, family, and sexual violence. Australia’s National Plan to end Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 (Department of Social Services, 2022) highlights the significance of these interventions, as did the earlier Royal Commission into Family Violence (2016). However, despite considerable investment and program diversification, there remains a lack of robust evidence on effective engagement strategies and outcomes, necessitating further exploration. This state-wide study sought to contribute to the evidence base by examining the multifaceted nature of perpetrator engagement in MBCPs.Since the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence (RCFV, 2016) released its Report and Recommendations, there has been significant attention paid in Victoria – as part of the state government’s commitment to implementing all 227 recommendations – to improving perpetrator accountability, enhancing whole-of-system responses to better keep perpetrators in view and, as a part of these efforts, develop a suite of perpetrator interventions. The diversity of developed programs recognises the need for a suite of perpetrator interventions and provides ongoing acknowledgement that there is no one model that suits all people who use family violence. However, despite continual investment and the increased level of program development and delivery in Victoria, there remains limited understanding of what factors impact perpetrator engagement in, and disengagement from, an intervention. Likewise, understanding is further limited around what strategies could be used to enhance perpetrator engagement to change behaviour and, in turn, enhance victim-survivor safety, reduce recidivism and escalation of abuse, and minimise program attrition rates.This project reveals that engagement is a nuanced process influenced by readiness, motivation, referral pathways, and support systems. It aims to inform future advancements in these programs to enhance victim-survivor safety, improve perpetrator engagement and accountability, and ultimately to reduce repetition of abusive behaviours and escalation of family violence. In highlighting the importance of individualised support and post-program engagement, the study advocates for a more cohesive and supportive approach towards program design and delivery.