According to a study, certain interventionists may be underestimating the risk when assessing perpetrators, which could distort the true extent of sexual violence against intimate partners.
The Monash University study revealed that while evaluating perpetrators for programs, one in five professionals working in domestic violence prevention programs either rarely or never consider the possibility of intimate partner sexual violence.
Also, compared to other types of family violence, risk assessments for sexual violence are conducted by practitioners 40% less frequently.
According to principal author Nicola Helps, the study highlights important gaps in recognizing, evaluating, and responding to intimate partner sexual abuse when working with perpetrators.
Our study “highlights gaps in practitioners’ knowledge and comfort about intimate partner sexual abuse,” Dr. Helps added.
“Most significantly, practitioners expressed a desire for additional training to enhance better practice in handling intimate partner sexual abuse.
“Training could be developed to better assist practitioners in carrying out this work,”
Dr. Helps is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Institute.
A poll of approximately 100 professionals involved in family violence offender intervention programs served as the study’s primary data source.
It was discovered that one in four professionals had any training on intimate relationship sexual violence.
The nationwide counseling, information, and referral program for males who assault women is administered by No to Violence, which collaborated on the study.
Jacqui Watt, the chief executive of the company, backed the call for improved training.
We can’t evaluate the risk he is (posing) to the family, she added, unless all frontline staff members are knowledgeable in assessing the risk of sexual assault in addition to familial violence.
The researchers advised men to get in touch with the Men’s Referral Service if they were worried about their own behavior or that of another man using violence.
