Respect is the UK membership organisation for work with domestic violence perpetrators, male victims of domestic violence and young people’s violence in close relationships.

Perpetrators of domestic violence

Respect’s sole focus from 2000 until 2007, was perpetrators of domestic violence. We have since diversified, but perpetrators remain a key strand of our work.

• In 2004, we launched the Respect Phoneline which has helped thousands of people, male and female, by phone, email and webchat. The Respect Phoneline is for anyone who is concerned about their own or someone else’s behaviour towards their partner (male, female, in heterosexual or same-sex relationships) and is also available for frontline workers.
• We have developed standards and accreditation for services working with perpetrators. The Respect Accreditation Standard is the bench mark for the provision of quality interventions with men who use violence against their female partners. It sets out all the requirements good quality DVPSs need to meet to become accredited.
• Refuge and Respect worked together in 2009/10 to create this resource for employers and then piloted this in a number of public sector employers. We are pleased to keep this resource available; it contains an approach that addresses workplace support for survivors of abuse and how to address the perpetrators. The resource contains guidance for employers on recognising, responding to survivors and perpetrators.
• Domestic Violence Prevention Programmes: we support a network of specialist programmes, which work with the cause of the problem, the perpetrator. These services focus on changing the behaviour and managing the risk of perpetrators, with the safety of victims, including children, at their heart. We help new services to set up and existing services to develop. We support best practice in commissioning. For information about Domestic Violence Prevention Programmes in your area, please call the Respect Phoneline on freephone 0808 802 4040 (not our main office line).
• Respect Directory of Professionals able to undertake expert assessments of domestic violence risks in family court proceedings. We have established a directory of professionals who are suitably qualified, trained and experienced to undertake assessments of domestic violence risks and impact in families involved in legal proceedings in relation to children. Respect aims to provide solicitors, Cafcass, our members and others with a list of suitable assessors they can contact when an expert assessment is required. We took this step following the recommendations of Dr. Chris Newman which explored what should be included in an expert assessment of domestic violence risks and the skills and experience necessary to undertake these assessments. Respect will aim to ensure the quality of the expert assessors listed in the directory through a peer review process which we hope will give confidence to professionals when choosing an assessor from the Respect directory.
• The Drive Project: Drive is a project that will both challenge and support perpetrators to change their behaviour, while always holding them to account. It will change the public narrative from ‘why doesn’t she leave’ to ‘why doesn’t he stop?’. The Drive Partnership is made up of Respect, SafeLives and Social Finance.
• Improving policy and practice: We work closely with other agencies – such as the Police, Children’s Services, Cafcass, Probation and Health – to improve frontline responses to perpetrators.