FROM BOYS TO MEN: PRECLUDING THE PROCLIVITY TO PERPETRATE
Lead Research Organisation:
Keele University
Department Name: Inst for Law Politics and Justice
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
Publications
Gadd D
(2014)
This is Abuse Or is it? Domestic abuse perpetrators' responses to anti-domestic violence publicity
in Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal
Gadd D
(2012)
Domestic abuse prevention after Raoul Moat
in Critical Social Policy
| Title | On why prevention matters |
| Description | Interview for the Violence Against Women Scotland Network |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2011 |
| Impact | It is impossible to know this far on. the work was well received as it endorsed their standpoint. |
| URL | http://www.vawpreventionscotland.org.uk/news/researcher-profile-dr-david-gadd |
| Description | The project found that over half of 13-14 year olds school children sampled had some direct experience of domestic abuse, whether as victims, witnesses or perpetrators. Nearly half had experienced at least one type of domestic abuse in their relationships; a quarter had carried out at least one abusive behaviour; over a third had witnessed abuse between parents. We found that most young people think that it is wrong to hit a partner, but many can think of exceptions to this rule, most typically when a partner has hit them first or cheated on them. Boys are more likely than girls to endorse such exceptions. Both boys and girls regarded violence from women to men as more socially acceptable than violence perpetrated by men against women. When young men construe domestic violence as a 'fight' it becomes possible to see how acceptance of 'hitting back' among many young men and young women contributes to a set of dynamics in which those young men who are unprepared to 'lose' perpetrate grievous assaults against female partners. Pervasive concerns about trust help explain apparent contradictions in many young men's attitudes towards domestic abuse, including their apparent willingness to excuse particular instances of violence that they would ordinarily condemn if described more abstractly. Class-based and racialized forms of stereotyping fuse with loosely psychological theories to enable some young men to distance themselves from those they deem 'real' perpetrators. Among those young men known to service providers in the criminal justice system there are also substantial overlaps in experiences of victimization, exposure to abuse between parents and problems with violence perpetration towards partners, parents and step parents. The experience of living with adult men who were cruel makes it harder for some to recognise their own seemingly less calculating forms of violence as abuse. Many of those who have grown up in homes where there were problems with crime, domestic violence and drug abuse have found it necessary to become skilled in the capacity to threaten physical force: a skill they sometimes use to confront men whom their mothers or ex-partners are dating. Some of those who have behaved in controlling ways towards partners are, nevertheless, desperate not to become the kinds of men their fathers were despite struggling to negotiate their own relationships. The research found that attitudes can be changed through relationship education programmes. Social marketing can encourage young people to reflect critically on their own behaviour, though it can also elicit defensive reactions. It is shameful to see oneself as a potential perpetrator and easier to blame failings in a particular relationship for abuse. Few boys are keen to seek help if they experience violence in their own relationships. Those in trouble are often distrustful of teachers and social workers. Containing and constructive responses to young men who have been violent and/or abusive can also help them, in time, to identify with those they have hurt, but there are few service providers that young men can self-refer to. |
| Exploitation Route | The research can be used to: 1. Inform the development of policy and practice on domestic abuse prevention, including preventative intervention, family intervention work, social marketing and perpetrator programmes. 2. It may also be of use to film makers, journalists and those producing resources for young people that require primary accounts of young people's involvement in violence. To date five academic articles, one book chapter, and three non-academic articles have been published. A book about the project has been commissioned by Routledge and is deliverable in Oct 2014 and co-authored between the project team and linked PhD student (Alger). Together with Professor Hydén, Professor Gadd is editing a collection on Responses to Violence for Palgrave. On the project's website other outputs include an extensive 'how-to' research toolkit, videos, blogs, prezis and powerpoints, press releases, reports and publications. The research findings have been promoted in many presentations, events and media opportunities and directly to the Home Office, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Government and to NICE, EAVW (Ending Violence Against Women Coalition) the NSPCC, the Children's University, and the RESPECT Young People's Practitioner conference. The research was presented to audiences of academics, policymakers, police, probation, educational psychologists, social workers, domestic violence support workers and organisations campaigning against domestic violence in Keele, Birmingham, Bristol, London, Manchester, and Edinburgh totalling in excess of 500 participants. In the final project event, panel members representing RESPECT, Women's Aid, EVAW, the Home Office, Youth Justice Board, MsUnderstood Partnership, Greater Manchester Police discussed the significance of the research and the impact it would have in their own particular contexts. Gadd and Fox have both given interviews and participated in discussions that have been released through newspaper articles, radio and television broadcasts; including a BBC Newsbeat feature and discussion with MP Jeremy Browne on Radio 4's Woman's Hour. The Home Office have confirmed that this research has directly informed the development of their campaign approach. The research was also shared in a meeting with the Children's Commissioner. The research impacted directly on ARCH, the evidence enabling them to secure further funding to continue delivering their education intervention. It also supported the case made for a new intensive mentoring programme for high risk perpetrators in Coventry. Many practitioners have commented that the evidence has served to verify their own practice, beliefs and experiences, impacting on their confidence to continue and further develop strategies, programmes and interventions that they implement. In its first year, the project's website had over 5000 visits. Emails to promote the research findings have been sent to all Local Authorities in the UK, through the Educational Psychology forum EPNET, through several mailing lists via colleagues working in Sociology/Social Work and via Facebook and Twitter. There are 340 individuals on the project dissemination list. In addition to the pdf copies of the reports that are free to download, 400 copies of the three key findings reports and 200 copies of the recommendations document have been printed and distributed in hard copy. The NSPCC have added copies of all four reports to their library. |
| Sectors | Security and Diplomacy |
| URL | http://www.boystomenproject.com/ |
| Description | Domestic abuse prevention : emerging findings from the 'boys to men' project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on the emerging findings of the 'boys to men' project including data on the prevalence of abuse in young people's lives and their attitudes towards domestic abuse. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.keele.ac.uk/media/keeleuniversity/generalimagebank/newsandevents/Domestic%20violence%20ev... |
| Description | Expert advice offered to Safe Lives for a new toolkit on young people who harm |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Expert interview, leading to contributions to online toolkit. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.safelives.org.uk/knowledge-hub/spotlight-3-young-people-and-domestic-abuse/understanding-... |
| Description | Expert advice provided to Social Science Adviser, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, developing curriculum for healthy relationship education |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Advice was provide don a range of issues including curriculum design and delivery, content, and support and training for teachers, joined up delivery, special delivery for excluded pupils etc, and the need to avoid an exclusively heteronormative framework.. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/bicameral/post/publications/postnotes/ |
| Description | Physical and emotional abuse survey |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | An article written by David Gadd based on the Boys to Men findings that appeared in Police Life in July 2012. Police Life |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.police-life.co.uk |
| Description | Review of the The Respect Standard and Outcome Framework |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Provided feedback and review of the new accreditation standard which guides intervention work with domestic violence perpetrators in the UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://respect.uk.net/training/working-with-domestic-violence-perpetrators/ |
| Description | This is abuse or is it? : domestic abuse perpetrators' responses to anti-domestic violence publicity |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Paper presented by David Gadd in the Manchester University School of Law Public Lecture Series 21/11/12 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |