1. Information on the Anti-Violence Program Vienna
Conference A Europe Free from Gender-Based Violence November 2017, Prague
Information on the Anti-Violence Program Vienna
by Rosa Logar (Intervention Center) and Heinrich Kraus (Men‘s Center)

2. Framework for intervention
IPV is not gender-neutral; women and girls experience violence because their are women and violence that affects them disproportionally (Gender-based violence, Istanbul Convention)
Human Rights based approach: It is not enough to „give women a chance“, women have rights and need to be able to exercise them
Everyone, particularly women and girls, have the right to live free from violence in both the public and the private sphere (Istanbul Conv Art 4).
Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between women and men, which have led to domiation over, and discrimination against women by men and to to the prevention of the full advancement of women (Istanbul Convention).
Work with perpetrators needs to include work against violence AND discrimination against women and girls in the public and private sphere.

3. Main goals and principles
Men have to be made accountable for violent and dicriminatory behaviour towards women and girls.
They also need to be given a chance to become aware of their problem, change their attitudes and actions, respect women and become partners
Realize standards and principles of a human rights based and victim‘s centered approach in the work with perpetrators: ensure that the safety of the victim, the support for the victim and the human rights of the victim are of primary concern (Istanbul Convention Article 16) .
Standards need to be implemented not only in single programs but in all aspects of work with perpetrators and in all regions.
Austria: Federal working group of victim-safety oriented work with perpetrators has been founded in (BAG-OTA).
Members: NGOs running programs for perpetrators (Men‘s centers etc.), Austrian probation service, Women‘s support services/Intervention Centers.

4. Ecological model to understand the root causes of male violence against women and girls
We understand the etiology of gender-based violence against women and girls in the form of an ecological model:
We still live in a society with gender hierarchies, gendered violence and gender discrimination and all have an impact on the individual, the community and its institutions.
The pathways of IPV against women are set in layers that reach from the individual to societal levels and can change over time.
Besides the causal and societal factors we need to consider individual histories and risk factors of perpetrators.
In order to reach the main goals of our interventions, we have to address all the factors that are associated with violence in the individual case.
This requires extensive case and risk assessment as well as safety management.

5. Anti-Violence program Vienna (AVP)
The Anti-Violence program Vienna exists since 1999.
It aims to ensure that the safety of the victim, the support for the victim and the human rights of the victim are of primary concern.
The program is carried our by the Men‘s Center and the Domestic Violence Intervention Center in partnership and close co-ordination (as required by the Istanbul Convention Article 16).
Context of the work of AVP in Vienna:
The Intervention Center serves around 6000 victims/survivors of violence against women and domestic violence a year. Most of them are referred to the Centre by the police (Emergency barring orders).
Less than 1% of these perpetrators come into contact with the Anti-Violence programm.
Main reasons: lack of motivation and missing referrals by the justice system.

6. Anti-Violence program Vienna (AVP) - 2
Joined management of the AVP - three elements:
training for offenders (organised by men Counselling Centre/MÄB)
support programme for the victims/survivors (organised by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Centre/IST)
Close cooperation of both organisations – joined management of the program (joined decision on admission to the program, regular meetings, risk assessment and safety planning).

7. Anti-Violence program Vienna (AVP) - 3
Training for offenders:  
It is a training (not therapy)
The original base of the training are the DAIP program and the Change program .
Corresponding to the great variety of personalities of participants a broad range of methods are used, such as cognitive behaviour therapy and role-play, psychodynamic approaches to the offence, training of social skills as well as mindfulness based techniques.
Preferred setting: open, structured groups (32 sessions) with a female and a male facilitator.
Training in single sessions are offered to participants for which the group training is not working (for various reasons).
No offering of couple or family therapy, because of the power imbalance in violent relationships .

8. Anti-Violence program Vienna (AVP) - 3
Support for victims/survivors:
Empowering individual support based on the safety and human rights of victims/survivors.  
Continuing support (before, during and after training for perpetrators, also if he drops –out)
Holistic support (not only “partner-contact”), counselling and support in social and legal matters
assessing the current situation and the history of violence
Systematic risk assessment, including lethal risk
ongoing safety planning
alerting the woman partner in the case of crises in the course of training
reflection on the effects of training
Support in case the woman wants to separate from her partner (risk increased at that time, this needs to be addressed in the training as well!)

9. Objectives and evaluation
Changing the behaviour of the perpetrator with the aim of removing all physical and non-physical forms of violence from his behavioural repertoire
Learning violence-free modes of behaviour
Partnership behaviour (duties in the family, with the children,...)
Support and empowerment for the partners affected by violent behaviour and for their children
Improving the quality of living for victim/survivor and the children. And with that also for the perpetrator himself and the environment.
Evaluation of goals:
We aim at finding out, weather we have achieved these goals or not by gathering all available information through
- questionnaires in the beginning and the end of the training and internal evaluations.
 - institutionalized case-meetings of facilitators and victim support staff
- if safe and if the victim wishes so: joint sessions with victims and perpetrators, together with facilitators and support person.
(explain reasons for success and for not being successful).  

10. Substance abuse and mental healt problems of perpetrators
Substance abuse, alcohol abuse and mental health problems are important but by far not all risk-factors, that are associated with IPV.
In order to successfully eliminate or reduce violent behaviours all individual risk factors have to be assessed and managed.
About 43% of our clients use alcohol in a dangerous or harmful way.
We do not offer alcohol treatment. According to the severity of alcohol abuse we either refer to specialized institutions before we start the training, or parallel.
Mental health problems are treated within the training, mainly in separate, individual therapeutic sessions in addition to training in groups
We also collaborate with other Institutions in the community like psychiatrists, trauma centers or crisis centers.

11. Funding and limitations
Men’s Center: funding for the Anti-Violence Program from a number of governmental departments, namely, departments of the interior, social affairs, justice and family.
No secure funding, yearly applications with a lot of insecurity.
Domestic Violence Intervention Center: funding by Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Women and Health.
Three main limitations:
1. Lack of referrals by the justice system
In Austria there are many referral pathways from the justice system: criminal justice system pre-trial referrals, post-trial referrals, family court referrals in the context of custody and visitation rights – but none of them works well
Anti-violence trainigs in provinces can often not start because of lack of referrals.
Main goal therfore: engage the justice system
Further limitations:
2. Lack of sustainable funding – legal base would be needed.
3. Organisational structures for victim-safety oriented work with perpetrators in all regions are missing and would be needed.

12. Three most important elements in work
1.- Working alliance and relationship with clients 2.- Risk- Need-Responsivity Principles (Andrews & Bonta,2012) 3.- Close Cooperation with victims support services and other institutions in the intervention chain