NSPCC starts counselling scheme for abusive men

Nov 10 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL’S NSPCC is counselling men who have carried out domestic violence in a pioneering scheme to stamp out the root cause of abuse of women and children in the home.

The charity’s No Excuses programme is aiming to prevent domestic violence by challenging the men to look at their behaviour and take responsibility for their actions through an intensive 30-week course.

Already, 60 men have gone through the 10-week assessment stage of the course, with around 40 continuing on to the group work programme.

Some of the men have recognised their behaviour is unacceptable and have nominated themselves, while others cannot have access to their children or fear they will lose their partners unless they successfully complete the course. All, however, have to volunteer to take part.

Carolyn Welsh runs the courses at Liverpool’s Hargreaves Centre – the largest NSPCC centre outside London – which was funded by a Daily Post-backed campaign.

She said that while the charity has historically always been associated with working with children and women to deal with the effects of abuse and violence, the NSPCC is now also looking to deal with the cause to stop it at the root.

She said: “For a long time now, the NSPCC has recognised that we need to address some of the causes of why children and women are exposed to violence and abuse.

“Instead of just dealing with the effect we are looking at the cause so we can stop it – full stop.

“We are still offering our hard edge services in child protection but we have also discovered that there is more than one way to address, stop and prevent domestic violence and child abuse.

“The programme is called No Excuses for a reason.

“We do not treat these men with kid gloves and these men have got to display an obvious capacity for change.

“The course is intense and harsh and we force them to look at their behaviour and the effects it has on their partners and children.

“At the same time, we work with their partners and support them.

“Most of these men are still in contact with their partners so we have a barometer of what impact the programme is having and whether things are improving.

“It is a positive way of tackling abusive behaviour and, so far, the men who have gone through the full programme have not returned to their previous ways.”

Police forces in England and Wales recorded almost 5,000 cases of cruelty or neglect of children last year.

Forty five cases were in Merseyside.

Mrs Welsh added: “Given that these figures are only the cases that were reported, it can only ever give an indication of the true extent of child cruelty and neglect.

“The No Excuse programme is another way the NSPCC is tackling violence, cruelty and abuse locally to end abuse in the lives of our children and young people.

“We are not pandering to these men. This is not an easy option for them.

“We challenge them and their belief system.

“If we can stop someone being an abuser then the children who live with these people will never need the services of the NSPCC in the first place.”