Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes and Neurodiversity, 2022

This data has emerged from qualitative semi-structured interviews which obtained the experiences and perspectives of international practitioners who work with autistic men/men with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who perpetrate domestic abuse in intimate relationships. It aimed to understand how practitioners can provide safe and effective interventions for neurodivergent men and victim-survivors.

Key findings included concerns regarding the lack of knowledge about neurodivergence, screening and awareness amongst practitioners, workforce development, recruitment and retainment, and the resourcing and sustainability of neurodivergent responsive interventions. It also identified that practitioners had witnessed that neurodivergent men experience barriers to engagement within mainstream programmes developed and delivered by and for neurotypical people, and that more research is needed about the implications of this for victim-survivors and those who work with them within integrated services.