Prevention approaches aimed at men who commit violence against women: a scoping review.
Victoria Leslyê Rocha Gutmann, Gisele Cristina Manfrini, Tereza Maria Mendes Diniz de Andrade Barroso and 3 others
PMID 40644652WHAT IT FOUND
Most mapped interventions for men who commit violence against women were group-based and qualitative.
Men often described better responsibility, communication, and relationships, but this review reported no tested reduction in violence.
Key findings
01Most included studies described secondary or tertiary prevention approaches for men who commit violence against women; only two studies expanded prevention to the primary level, including some male volunteers who were not necessarily perpetrators.
02Most interventions were group-based, with sessions ranging from eight to 52 weekly meetings, and men often described greater responsibility, improved communication, better relationships, anger management, empathy, anxiety relief, and reduced alcohol or substance use.
03The review also found negative or mixed signals: preventive detention was associated with no reflection and anger, recidivism was reported, and some partners were dissatisfied with prevention approaches.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review included only qualitative studies, so it reports participants' perceptions and experiences, not whether violence decreased. The included studies were small and varied in country, referral route, session length, and facilitator background. Direct comparison is difficult. Few studies described interdisciplinary or interprofessional team dynamics. ConQual ratings were moderate or low for several synthesized findings, and reliability was affected by unclear data collection and analysis methods. The search was conducted in 2022, so newer studies are not included.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that group programs reduce violence against women. The review maps qualitative perceptions, not tested effects, and it reports recidivism, lack of reflection in preventive detention, and partner dissatisfaction.