Supporting Accountability and Safety Through Men’s Behaviour Change
Our BHN Family Violence Team is funded as a perpetrator intervention service with a dual focus: holding men accountable for their behaviour and ensuring the safety of women and children. A key component of our 20-week Men’s Behaviour Change Program (MBCP) is accountability. When a man joins the program, he must provide contact details of current and former partners affected by his use of violence.
Our Family Safety Contact Workers then reach out to these women, offering support and opportunities to engage in ongoing family violence counselling tailored to their individual needs.
James’ story
James first contacted BHN after speaking with the Men’s Referral Service. He self-referred, seeking support to address his use of violence, power, and control. During his assessment, James disclosed financial difficulties and stress that had built up over several years, culminating in a suicide attempt. Police and ambulance were called and discovered he had given his wife, Jenny, a sedative. Police identified a potential homicide-suicide situation and issued an interim Intervention Order (IVO).
When our team first contacted Jenny, she described experiencing intimidation, financial control, emotional abuse, male privilege, and enforced gender expectations. Despite this, she expressed a desire to remain in the relationship while rebuilding her identity and self-worth.
The men’s program
Throughout the 20-week MBCP, James gained significant insight into his behaviour. He came to recognise his use of control, coercion, and emotional and financial abuse. During the program, James:
- Recognised his use of “smokescreens” and unhelpful communication styles
- Learned to reflect when challenged in a non-judgemental environment
- Began to listen and hold space for Jenny’s experiences
- Developed greater respect for her thoughts, opinions, and feelings
- Engaged genuinely in conversations around empathy.
Supporting Jenny’s healing
While James participated in the program, Jenny focused her counselling sessions on understanding her position in the relationship and rebuilding her autonomy. Key themes included:
- Establishing and maintaining boundaries
- Challenging gender expectations and power imbalances
- Acknowledging and addressing the impact of family violence
- Exploring family of origin and intergenerational patterns.
Jenny also provided feedback to MBCP facilitators about James’s behaviour at home, creating a crucial link between partner safety and perpetrator accountability.
Ongoing change and growth
After completing the MBCP, James joined our Maintaining Safe Change post-program group. There, he deepened his understanding of how his actions had affected his daughter and explored empathy and compassion more fully. This reflective work helped him become more forward-thinking, and he eventually became a mentor for other men in our programs.
Jenny continued her counselling journey. As trust grew with her therapist, she became more comfortable sharing her experiences, including some incidents of violence she had previously found too difficult to talk about. Over time, she described her recovery as both empowering and freeing.
Today, James has completed two years of behaviour change work and continues to mentor other men through our Dads Putting Kids First group. Jenny continues her journey of healing and self-discovery, supported by our team.
At BHN, we recognise and value women’s voices and experiences. Their insights guide our work with men, shaping programs that focus on safety, accountability, and lasting change.
For more information on Family Violence services at BHN, visit our program webpage or contact 132 246.