Attitude adjustment solution to abuse

Owen Glenn

Ankle monitors and tighter alcohol regulations will not help prevent family violence, says Wairarapa's leading violence prevention agency, adding greater risk assessment in the court system, education and changed male attitudes are better solutions.

The Glenn Inquiry has released its second report The People's Blueprint, which made recommendations to tackle family violence and child abuse.

Spearheaded by philanthropist Sir Owen Glenn, it calls for a dedicated family violence portfolio in Parliament, a specialised family violence court system, a national screening programme and database, funded long-term counselling for survivors of family violence and more peer-based programmes for perpetrators.

While Stopping Violence Services (SVS) Wairarapa co-ordinators Gerry Brooking and Jeremy Logan welcomed the report, they were unsure of its call for mandatory electronic tagging of people subject to protection orders.

Ms Brooking said a blanket rule requiring electronic monitoring could further anger an abusive partner, causing more harm. "It could exacerbate the issue and deter women from getting a protection order."

Protection orders came with benefits for an abused spouse, such as funded counselling and added support from the police and the courts.

In addition, she said, many SVS clients who had been violent saw a protection order as an opportunity to work on their behaviour. "An ankle bracelet could just put barriers in place to getting help."

Mr Logan said courts could do risk assessment to determine if a perpetrator was likely to breach a protection order; those most likely to carry out threats could be electronically monitored.

He and Ms Brooking also recommended more education for men on protection orders, which SVS provides, and readily available counselling services for perpetrators once they had "been served".

"There's often a gap of two to three weeks before [a perpetrator] breaches a protection order," said Mr Logan. "But, if he picks up the phone to call [a counsellor], he might not be seen for a couple of weeks.

"Under a protection order, a woman can see someone within 24 hours, so I think there should be something similar for the men."

Mr Logan and Ms Brooking said they were also unsure of the report's recommendations on tighter restrictions on alcohol, because of its contribution to domestic abuse.

Mr Logan said the link between alcohol and violence was overemphasised.

"To blame family violence on alcohol reduces responsibility and makes excuses."

The underlying cause of domestic violence was "male attitudes towards women".

Mr Logan and Ms Brooking said they agreed with most of the recommendations, including a nationwide family violence court system and a greater collaboration between agencies.