Counselling for men - against violence
The project was set up to complete the chain of intervention against domestic violence in Berlin. It considers domestic violence against women as part of the discrimination of women in the society and therefore aims to stop the violence on the level of the society as well as on the level of personal changes. The project offers counselling for men who perpetrated violence against their (former) partner.
The group and single settings aim to stop the violent behavior, to coach for alternatives to traditional masculinities and to develop respectful conflict strategies in the family. The social training is performed by two psychologists and a social worker and takes at least half a year. Accompanying contacts with the (former) partner are made if possible.
Fundamental for the work is the Berlin cooperation structure. Men are mandated to the counselling either by an institution (criminal and family courts, public prosecutors, youth welfare departments etc.) or they come voluntarily. The project cooperates with a women’s counselling service in a close case management. The serious consequences of domestic violence for children are in the centre of the curriculum of the courses for perpetrators. Therefore, Counselling for men – against violence is connected in a cooperation union with the special project Kind im Blick / Child in focus which supports children suffering domestic violence between their parents.
Migrants or refugees who do not speak sufficiently German can be counselled in Arab, English, French or Turkish.
On the one hand, the project aims to call the perpetrators to account for their acts and to teach them social-cognitive competencies to develop non-violent behavior. On the other hand, the project wants to tackle the social problem of domestic violence against women in its public relations, especially aimed at men.
Counselling for men – against violence is organised in the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Täterarbeit Häusliche Gewalt / Federal Association for Working with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence which established a standard for perpetrator programmes in Germany. The project is committed in the European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence WWP EN to develop the quality of the programmes for perpetrators in Europe. Furthermore, the project manager is committed as a catalyst for HeForShe UNWOMEN Germany – a campaign by men involved for equal rights between the genders.
Contact:
Gerhard Hafner
Beratung für Männer – gegen Gewalt
maennerberatung@volkssolidaritaet.de
https://volkssolidaritaet-berlin.de/einrichtungen/beratung-fuer-maenner-gegen-gewalt
The project started in 1999 and is still running.
Last review: December 2020.