Men’s Behaviour Change Programs

There are currently 2 men’s behaviour change programs in the Northern Territory – one in Alice Springs and the other in Darwin (with outreach to Wadeye).

These programs had 172 participants last financial year:

• 98 men in Alice Springs
• 58 men in Darwin
• 16 men in Wadeye.

NT Corrections communicates regularly with service providers and the courts about available spots and to support assessment of suitable participants for the program before an order is made.

Programs operate waitlists where required, as it can be difficult to recruit the specialists to run these programs.

New Katherine program

A third, regional pilot program is being developed in Katherine and will run for 3.5 years.

The pilot program in Katherine is a $2.41 million investment through the Australian Government’s National Partnership Agreement to provide specialist services for men who are perpetrators of domestic and family violence.

Aim of programs

These programs provide tailored services to men to educate them about what drives their abusive behaviour.

Through the program, the men are held accountable for their actions and supported to develop new behaviours, attitudes and beliefs.

During this process the safety of women and children is always prioritised and the programs each employ a dedicated Women’s Safety Worker to provide that support directly to victim survivors.

Funding

The Northern Territory Government has increased funding of the existing 2 Men’s Behaviour Change Programs for 2 years, by $5.32 million under Action Plan 2, in addition to their base funding of $1.16 million per year.

Additional funding commenced in October 2023 to enable greater capacity to deliver programs.