Domestic and family violence remains a national crisis in Australia and a pervasive issue across the Indo-Pacific region. Despite widespread recognition that men are overwhelmingly the perpetrators, progress in reducing violence has been slow. Our research suggests that the lack of long-term investment in diverse approaches to engaging men who use violence may be a key reason.
Mapping the full picture
We conducted a large-scale review of academic literature to map out programs for men using domestic and family violence. Screening more than 20,000 articles, we identified 50 articles describing 42 unique programs across 14 Indo-Pacific countries, including Australia, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Nearly half of the interventions were Australian, though this may reflect a bias in academic publishing toward English-language, Western research, meaning many programs in other parts of the region remain undocumented.
Almost 75% of the programs went beyond the standard men's behaviour change model, which typically involves group therapy sessions over several weeks. Standard models were most common in Australia. Outside Australia and New Zealand, community-based approaches were prevalent, such as the HERrespect program in Bangladesh's garment factories, which used edu-tainment and awareness campaigns to reach men who might not otherwise seek help.
Community-based and creative interventions
Another example is India's Parivartan program, which targeted young male cricket athletes and their coaches to foster positive responses to violence. While such programs show promise, they were often short-term pilots with limited funding, making long-term evaluation difficult. Only two of the 42 programs considered marginalised populations, such as displaced Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. Indigenous peoples, LGBTQIA+ communities, migrants, and people with disabilities were almost entirely absent from program design.
According to the research, “governments across the Indo-Pacific need to invest long-term in a range of approaches that go beyond the standard men's behaviour change program.” The diversity of interventions—from cricket workshops in India to factory campaigns in Bangladesh—may be key to genuinely engaging men.
Need for co-designed, long-term funding
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Programs must be co-designed with the communities they serve, rather than adapted from Western templates. Rainbow Door, Australia's only domestic and family violence helpline for LGBTQIA+ people, demonstrates the impact of purposefully designed services. During COVID lockdowns, demand surged, highlighting the need for additional funding and expansion.
Australia could learn from community-based approaches across the Indo-Pacific that engage whole communities, not just individual perpetrators. As the research concludes, “a program that works can mean a woman stays safe; a program that doesn't work, or never gets funded long enough to find out, leaves that same woman and her children at risk.” Promising approaches exist, but they require sustained investment and inclusive design.
