Engaging Singapore men who abuse; development of Model of Integrated Response to Family Violence

1. “Challenges and Breakthroughs for Women’s Shelters in Asia”
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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2. The Singapore model keeping it real

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4. Development of Model of Integrated Response
to Family Violence
1. SPF piloted coordinated response to family violence in
one division with 2 VWOs. Victims reporting family
violence immediately linked to the VWOs for follow up.
2. Success of pilot programme led to implementation
island-wide.
3. Amendments to Women’s Charter in May 1997.
Definition and coverage of family violence expanded.
Greater enforcement power.
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5. Development of Model of Integrated Response
to Family Violence
4. MCYS and SPF took lead - developed protocols for
multi-systems network involving other key systems eg
Family Court, SSAs, MOE, MOH, Prisons.
5. Different platforms for dialogue - national, community
level.
6. Gaps that came with multi-disciplinary partnerships.
Nonetheless, platforms created to reflect on
management of family violence issues & practice.
7. More contact points for referrals.
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6. Engaging Men who Abuse in Singapore
1. Men who abuse entered violence programme via
voluntary and mandated routes.
2. 2 paths - a) Individual counselling
b) Men’s treatment groups
3. Training available for frontline professionals.
Inadequate for specialised area of need.
4. VWOs interested in this area of work did own
research. Looked to established models/programmes.
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7. PAVE’s engaging men who abuse programme
modelled after:
1. DAIP model - Duluth, Minnesota
- Takes blame off victim, places accountability for
abuse on offender;
- Believes that beliefs and attitudes possessed by
men who batter can be changed through an
educational process;
- Co-ordinated community response;
- Changes societal conditions that support men’s use
of tactics of power and control over women;
- Specialises in men’s groups : Male-female cofacilitation.
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8. PAVE’s engaging men who abuse programme
modelled after:
2. Confronting Abusive Beliefs ProgrammeVancouver
- Changing behaviors, cognitions or affect requires
change in beliefs;
- Takes into account cultural & social contexts that
sustain beliefs & deter belief change;
- Change facilitated when beliefs are confronted in
group setting;
- Replace abusive beliefs with respectful ones;
- Male-female co-facilitation.
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9. PAVE
1. Philosophy - using men’s group and individual
counselling
a) to help men understand and end their violence;
b) work towards replacing negative beliefs with positive
ones;
c) build more respectful relationships.
2. Matched with programme for survivors and child
witnesses
a) to empower them in identifying risks, warning signs,
mobilising internal and external resources;
b) develop safety plans, make positive choices.
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10. PAVE
3. With greater exposure &
experience in engaging men
who abuse, able to indigenize
to Singapore’s
multi-lingual, multi-ethnic and
multi-religious backdrop.
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11. Individual counselling programme
1. Engaging men who abuse (MWA) on voluntary and
mandated tracks. No couple counselling.
2. Adapted content - forms cornerstone of men’s programme
3. Add - context of social/cultural/religious beliefs;
motivational interviewing, linking them up with resources
for holistic intervention.
4. Maximum of 8 mandated & 24 voluntary sessions.
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12. Men’s Group programme
1. Combining men on voluntary and mandated tracks
served us well.
a) Voluntary ones learn “disadvantage”/ cost of having
PPO and CGO. Preventive element.
b) Those mandated inspire voluntary ones by
discussing more useful/ constructive strategies
“before things get worse”.
c) Motivation of men attending programme voluntarily a major shift in setting new benchmarks for change.
2. Irregular attendance and
recidivism a constant reality.
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13. Useful variables to enhance men’s
programme
1. Build into programme structure checks with
spouse/partners on progress of MWA. Useful
ongoing evaluation & reality check.
2. 2004 - SPF mooted and piloted Joint House Visit
programme in partnership with PAVE.
- Allowed police and social workers to make joint
visits, post incarceration;
- Good deterrence for re-offending; offer of
community support;
- Source of inter-disciplinary mutuality.
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14. Useful variables to enhance men’s
programme
3. Enhanced scheme for very high risk cases.
a) Prisons flag out BPO cases for SSA follow up prior to
release;
b) Provides upstream community support, both for
MWAs and survivors.
c) Platform for exchanges on dangerousness of
MWA. If MWA have low insight & plans to commit
further hurt, develop more concrete community watch
programme.
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15. Useful variables to enhance men’s
programme
4. Counselling Order (CGO) cases
- Non compliance and non-attendance, accountable to
court, subject to court reviews.
- Cost - keep returning to Court.
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16. What motivates men who abuse to seek &
remain in programme
1. Desire to save marriage & ensure children grow in
a complete family.
- Culturally, perceived as more damaging to
children if they are from “incomplete family”.
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17. What motivates MWA to seek & remain in programme
2. Recognition that violence is wrong.
- More spontaneously expressed by men who seek help
voluntarily.
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18. What motivates MWA to seek & remain in programme
3. Court mandate
- Compliance draws more benefits.
4. Impending court trial
- To prove help being sought.
5. To prove a point
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19. PAVE variation
The 4 Rs
1. Re-tell
2. Re-define/ Re-frame
3. Re-learn
4. Re-do
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20. The change process: What warrants
attention in engagement
1. Early intervention - “habituation” increases insensitvity
to use of violence & consequences.
2. Therapeutic relationship: critical element in intervention
3. Holding the men accountable
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21. PAVE variation
The change process: What warrants attention in
engagement
4. Addressing the impact of violence on victims - dealing
with “collective & cumulative amnesia” (Dobash, Dobash,
Cavanagh & Lewis 2000).
5. Building men’s capacity for empathy.
6. Keeping victims’ safety in focus: the need for ongoing
risk assessment
7. Groupwork.
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22. Our Learning Journey providing training on
Engaging Men who Abuse
An area of practice that is
perceived as ……
1. “dark” (in content)
2. difficult (in process) &
3. bleak (in potential
outcomes).
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23. Learning from the men
Workers’ experience -
a) Painful
b) Challenging - dealing with
DMBC;
c) Heart-warming
d) Enlightening - best
philosophers & poets;
…… cont
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24. Learning from the men …
“Nobody can change us.
Only we can change
ourselves. You plant a seed,
tomorrow I won’t see the
tree. I water the tree but
need to clear the weeds too.”
e) (Actually) enjoyable.
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25. What is the right model for
engaging men who abuse?
1. Learn from tried and tested
models. Hold men
accountable for violence &
ensure victim safety. Clear
philosophy, concrete
foundation.
2. Indigenise to local context.
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26. What is the right model for
engaging men who abuse?
3. Work in tandem with key
stakeholders for holistic
intervention, especially in high
risk situations.
4. On-going research &
streamlining of practice
model needed to ensure
relevance.
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27. Key approach to helping
men stop their violence in
intimate relationship is to
provide the platform for it.
Be their bridge to building
respectful relationships.
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28. Shieh shieh
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