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Can we effectively evaluate the success of Domestic violence support programs?

  • Writer: Monocle Data
    Monocle Data
  • Nov 28, 2019
  • 3 min read


The success of awareness programs such as 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence have resulted in rising rates of reported domestic violence cases in Australia. However, there continues to be shortcomings in addressing what happens after a report of domestic violence is made. The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 and its budget of over $700 million may not achieve the targets set, based on the available data and performance evaluations.


The widespread prevalence of domestic violence in Australia has called for a significant response from the government and NGOs to provide financial, emotional, health and legal support for victims, rehabilitation of perpetrators and services for children impacted.


Support programs offered for domestic violence victims are increasingly required to provide evaluations of their performance in order to apply for more funding and to justify the use of funds already provided. This causes significant problems when trying to complete these evaluations when, by their nature, evaluations require a definition of success and failure. How would you define success for a domestic violence support program?


An often suggested answer is “the number of women who have left abusive relationships after participating in the program”. Although this is the ideal outcome, most professionals and practitioners with experience in this area suggest that this definition of ‘success’ is narrow, insensitive and removed from the complex reality of what victims experience. This can also negatively impact the victims seeking support and the way programs are run so as to receive funding.


The experience of each domestic violence victim is different and reasons for them staying in such situations are complex. Even with a strong support system and support services, victims find it difficult to leave violent situations because of financial, emotional and family reasons. We need to re-frame the way we respond to suspected victims of domestic violence and consider to provide support services to support their journey to leave violent relationships.


Let’s start with why this suggestion of leaving the relationship and assuming it to be the one obvious solution, is often harmful. The victim may feel judged, belittled and may not access further support which would completely negate the purpose of these programs.


Leaving the relationship also does not mean the violence will automatically end and often, leaving or threatening to leave the relationship can escalate the violence. A victim may instead seek other avenues of aid, hoping for the relationship to improve, sometimes out of necessity because they are financially dependent and/or have children with their perpetrator.

Say a victim does want to leave the relationship, this often takes several attempts. Do we tell a victim of domestic violence that after the first attempt they ‘failed’? If the victim needs to stay for reasons personal to their situation, do we continue to evaluate support programs they might access on the basis that the programs are unsuccessful because the victim has not left their partner?


There are many reasons why we should not use the number of women who leave abusive relationships as a measure of success; it is inappropriate, judgemental and fails to acknowledge the complexity of domestic violence situations that need flexible and tailored support. In fact, this can be applied to almost any outcome-oriented definition of success for these programs, including measures such as the number of women who obtain legal support, find employment or acquire stable housing.


The measure of success should not belittle or underestimate the work that support programs are doing. In fact, “there is evidence that if programs improve survivors’ social support and access to resources, these serve as protective factors that enhance their safety over time.” (Sullivan, 2011) It is not necessarily true that leaving an abusive household, pursuing legal action or by receiving counselling, that a survivor’s safety would increase over time.


Evaluation of support programs need to involve an assessment of the impact and gravity of the work being done by focusing on improving access to resources and social support, which can involve any form of support in any frequency and taking into account individual circumstances.


We acknowledge that evaluation of these programs is important if we want the support of domestic violence victims to improve. However, it is difficult and requires an approach separate from the way we would evaluate a new drug or a new technology.


Monocle Data is currently working with Cumberland Women’s Health Centre, a local grassroots organisation to evaluate their Employment Boost program. We hope to assist in further defining and providing the tools to evaluate a ‘successful intervention’ by measuring the impact of the program on victims, their families and communities.


Please see the links below to access national support services and for further information on how you can help.


Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria:


Domestic Violence New South Wales:


Friends with Dignity Australia:

 
 
 

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