Behavioural change program for men at risk of committing domestic violence launched in ACT

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Men at risk of committing acts of domestic violence will have access to crisis accommodation and behavioural therapy under a new ACT Government program.

The Room4Change initiative allows women and children to stay in their homes while men move out to take part in a three-month intensive residential program.

The initiative is funded as part of the ACT's Safer Families package announced in last weeks budget.

The program will be coordinated by community agency Connections ACT and the Domestic Violence Crisis Service.

"Families have been crying out for a whole-of-family response and a support system," director Mirjana Wilson said.

"To have men that are willing to engage and work on their use of violence … before it gets to the point where they have to engage with the criminal justice system, I think it is vital."

Ms Wilson said the program avoided some of the upheaval associated with removing women and children from violence, providing new options for families in crisis.

"Most of the domestic and family violence responses have focused on women having to flee the family home," she said.

"That option is still an incredibly important one … however it's really important that a secondary option exists for those women and children … to be supported to stay at home."

Men taking part in the program will also have access up to nine months of community outreach support.

ACT Minister for Women Yvette Berry said the program was at the forefront of family violence prevention.

"This is a new frontier in addressing violence, and gives families the chance to reassess their relationships," she said.

"This way they'll be supporting victims and perpetrators as well … making sure we can end violence ending up in our court systems, emergency departments and playing out in our neighbourhoods."

Topics: domestic-violence, community-and-society, canberra-2600, act