Increased risk of family violence as COVID-19 pushes out waiting lists for some men's behaviour change programs

A national survey of providers of men's behaviour change programs found the average wait time for a program is two and a half months.

But Cafs in Ballarat, which runs the city's only men's behaviour change program, has wait times ranging from two to five weeks.

"Due to the fact we aren't operating in normal circumstances, the wait time is not a true reflection of normal service delivery," said Cafs chief executive Wendy Sturgess.

"Wait times are also different depending on the severity of risk that the man poses to the women and children in his life so one many with low risk may wait five weeks and a high risk offender may be able to start in two weeks," Ms Sturgess said.

The national survey by No to Violence, which is Australia's largest peak body for services that work with men who use violence and abuse and runs the Men's Referral Service, found perpetrators of family violence were waiting up to 40 weeks to enter programs aimed at changing violence and abusive behaviour.

Men's behaviour change programs encourage men to take responsibility for their use of family violence, help them explore attitudes and beliefs influencing their use of violence, understand the impact of family violence on their partners and children, and help change their behaviour.

Often the programs work in hand with alcohol and drug treatment, housing and other support services to help participants manage the change.

"It takes a lot of strength for a man to reach out to a service to want to change their abusive and violent behaviour," said No to Violence chief executive Jacqui Watt.

"To have to wait up to 40 weeks, after making that huge step forward, really presents a risk to these men and importantly their partners, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends and families."

Of concern was the fact about a third of programs are closed because of COVID-19 related physical distancing restrictions.

Coronavirus restrictions have also contributed to an increase in the frequency and severity of family violence, with droves of women reporting first-time family violence during the initial COVID-19 lockdown.

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A Monash University study found first time family violence reporting by women rose 42 per cent, and practitioners supporting women experiencing violence said the frequency of violence against women and the severity of abuse had increased during the lockdown measures.

Because of the increase in family violence and delays in men being able to begin behaviour change programs, the No to Violence Men's Referral Service received federal funding to set up a brief intervention service providing phone counselling for men who use violence, to keep them engaged in the system while awaiting a place in a program.

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