Investigating family violence perpetrators - Interventions, masculinities, and accountabilities

This thesis investigated the life circumstances of family violence perpetrators when entering a perpetrator intervention program, the impact of their gendered beliefs of what it is to ‘be a man’ on group work interventions to shift behaviour and the implications of accountability goals for interventions. The men presented with a myriad of complex needs including mental health issues, AOD abuse and suicide ideations. The majority were fathers and children appeared to be a key motivating factor. In group work, men bonded together over their gendered beliefs and by program end, demonstrated greater awareness rather than accountability for their abusive behaviour.