To reduce the number of domestic abuse victims, perpetrators must be challenged to change their behaviour, say charities Respect, SafeLives and Social Finance, and three leading Police and Crime Commissioners.
In a pioneering project, called the Drive project, the charities will be working to develop and evaluate a new approach to hold perpetrators of violence to account and keep survivors safe.
The project is aimed at tackling flawed response to domestic abuse cases which often see the perpetrator left to continue their life as normal and repeat the same abusive behaviour with new partners, while survivors are expected to leave and start a new life in the community.
Often this causes major disruption to survivors’ lives, cutting them off from a support network of family and friends and requiring them to move between temporary accommodation, which may make it difficult to find stable employment.
Although providing support for survivors and their children is and always will be essential, this will not help to prevent domestic abuse at its source. The Drive project is looking at developing effective interventions for perpetrators that minimise repeat and serial patterns of abuse, as well as complement support for victims and children.
The pilot project is being delivered in South Wales, Sussex and Essex, and will begin in April.
You can read about the project in more detail on the SafeLives website.