Differential Intervention Outcomes Among Fathers Who Commit Domestic and Family Violence: The Influence of Parental Relationship Status

Emma Gatfield; Patrick O'Leary; Menka Tsantefski; Silke Meyer; Kathleen Baird

doi:10.1007/s10896-024-00687-y

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Differential Intervention Outcomes Among Fathers Who Commit Domestic and Family Violence: The Influence of Parental Relationship Status

Journal article

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Differential Intervention Outcomes Among Fathers Who Commit Domestic and Family Violence: The Influence of Parental Relationship Status

Emma Gatfield, Patrick O'Leary, Menka Tsantefski, Silke Meyer and Kathleen Baird

Journal of family violence, Vol.40, pp.1143-1155

08/2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-024-00687-y

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Abstract

Men’s behavior change

Father violence

Domestic and family violence

Separated families

Background In Western contexts, the behavior of domestically violent men is largely addressed through legal sanctions and standardised men’s behavior change programs. When domestically violent fathers remain together or in contact with their families, safety is an ongoing concern. However, program evaluations have failed to provide clear evidence for their effectiveness in addressing family violence in relation to parenting status. Part of the problem in developing efficacious programs has been the challenge of targeting them to typologies or socio-cultural needs of participants. Purpose The Caring Dads (CD) program supports father-change through leveraging men’s motivation to be positive parents, promoting child-centred fathering and cessation of family abuse. The aim of this study was to investigate whether participating fathers improved their co-parenting interactions, family functioning and wellbeing, and considered father characteristics and relationship statuses that coincided with positive outcomes. Methods This mixed method Australian study investigating a CD pilot incorporated psychological measures and semi-structured interviews at pre-, post- and 10 months post-intervention. Participants were fathers who attended CD in South-East Queensland, 2017–2019, and their co-parents. Results All fathers experienced improvements in parenting and family functioning by post-intervention, with greatest improvements for partnered fathers’ families. Partnered fathers also experienced improved parental alliance, unlike most separated fathers, although results must be viewed with caution due to small sample size and attrition across the study duration. Conclusion This study provides early support for improvements in CD participants’ fathering, parental alliance, and family functioning, most substantially for partnered fathers, though findings should be further investigated with larger cohorts.

Details

Title: Differential Intervention Outcomes Among Fathers Who Commit Domestic and Family Violence: The Influence of Parental Relationship Status
Creators: Emma Gatfield - Anglicare Southern Queensland (Brisbane, Australia)
Patrick O'Leary - Griffith University
Menka Tsantefski - Southern Cross University
Silke Meyer - Griffith University
Kathleen Baird - University of Technology Sydney
Publication Details: Journal of family violence, Vol.40, pp.1143-1155
Publisher: Springer Nature
Number of pages: 13
Grant note: Griffith University; Griffith University - Gold Coast Campus
Identifiers: 991013181795502368
Academic Unit: Centre for Children and Young People; Faculty of Health
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Differential Intervention Outcomes Among Fathers Who Commit Domestic and Family Violence: The Influence of Parental Relationship Status

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