Paper submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Post-graduate Diploma in Social Science Research, University of Auckland

This paper aims to develop a profile of Family Court clients affected by applications for domestic protection orders; examine the response of the court system to referrals to anger management programmes; examine what happens to referrals, the response of the anger management groups, and the men themselves; and encourage discussion, evaluation and thought about anger management among the users and providers of protection services. The author concludes that the court and lawyers fail to take enough account of the stress the women experience and do not understand that women's partners can continue to harass them through litigation or failure to settle matrimonial property issues. She believes the court fails to make sufficient provision for access to children and needs to recognise that children are often directly or indirectly victims of violence. Women commented that the effect on on-going parenting was the major benefit of their partner attending anger management programmes. Reconciliation was an unrealistic goal in many cases. The author makes a number of recommendations for counselling coordinators, anger management groups, the judiciary, and court management.

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