Thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Arts (Applied) in Social Science Research

The purpose of this thesis was to explore changes in the behaviour and attitudes of abusive men who participate in a Men for Non-Violence course from the perspective of their partners. The thesis also considers the operational aspects of the programme, including women's experiences in dealing with course facilitators and their involvement in the women's programme. This is a small-scale longitudinal study. Data was gathered from 9 women at three different times: when their partners began the Men for Non-Violence course, three months later when they completed the course, and again four to six months after that. The women completed an abuse checklist at each interview. Given the small sample size, the report warns against drawing general conclusions from the findings. The author states that the study is only intended to provide indicators about some aspects of a men's violence programme from the perspective of the partners of programme participants. Women reported a range of outcomes following their partners' completion of the course. Some men had made significant improvements, others were continuing with their abusive behaviours, while others had developed new abusive techniques. The women interviewed expressed concern that their views did not appear to be taken into account in the running of the programme. The author recommends on-going monitoring and evaluation of men's violence programmes from the perspective of their partners.

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