Social Work Services with Male Perpetrators of Violence

Victims of violence can receive medical support and care for physical injuries, psychological support, safety assurance and legal support…. The mission of

“Anh Duong House” aims to call on victims to speak up and seek help when they are subjected to violence and sexual abuse, and to take action to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions. Any victim of violence in need will be received, intervened, and supported promptly to resolve the violence problem. By the end of the second quarter of 2021, the Center had counseled 74 cases related to domestic violence; provided emergency support for 35 cases; and provided temporary care and nurturing at the center for 19 cases [93].

Through the reports and studies on social work service models in domestic violence prevention, we can see the attention of the Vietnamese Government to this issue, along with a series of projects implementing social work services for women - the main victims of domestic violence - that are operating in typical provinces and cities with the support of non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.

1.2.3 Social work services with male perpetrators of violence

The results of the study on the quality of current criminal justice services for victims of domestic violence in Vietnam in 2011 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime showed that in more than 95 cases of domestic violence, the perpetrator was the current or former husband of the victim. Therefore, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the United Nations Population Fund in Vietnam (UNFPA) made the following assessment: ― Many measures have been implemented to limit domestic violence, but the violence continues to occur and tends to increase in proportion to the number of victims of domestic violence. Recognizing the positive role of men, as well as working with men who commit violence, helps them realize the harmful effects of violence, thereby restraining and changing violent behavior. Therefore, the handbook for social workers working with perpetrators of violence was developed to improve capacity and support skills for staff of social work centers to do a good job of providing services when receiving, consulting, and supporting perpetrators of violence. This is a necessary activity, which will contribute to raising awareness and changing behavior for perpetrators of violence, thereby limiting the situation of domestic violence" demonstrates the progressive thinking that keeps up with the global trend of our Government in building measures, policies, and services for men - perpetrators of violence to effectively reduce domestic violence in Vietnam [44].

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In order to promote the benefits of men's participation in preventing domestic violence, the non-governmental organization CSAGA has pointed out four groups of benefits, first of all, benefits for society - the key to building a developed, sustainable and safe society; Benefits for women when men participate in preventing domestic violence will help them understand that violence is a violation of human rights and through intervention activities will create conditions for both sexes to share their roles and responsibilities in family life; Benefits for children when men participate in domestic violence prevention activities will directly reduce violent behaviors for the next generations while creating conditions for children to develop in the best way; Benefits for men themselves when helping them realize the difficulties and challenges that they have to follow social conventions for both sexes, thereby helping them find appropriate solutions to their difficulties instead of using violence [19].

Assessing the picture of domestic violence prevention activities in Vietnam, first of all, communication and education activities to raise awareness of people, especially those who commit violence, to raise awareness and change the behavior of people at risk and who have committed domestic violence. The results of the 2013 survey in the scientific topic " Research on solutions to prevent and combat domestic violence in Vietnam today " conducted by the Department of Family under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism showed that 298/400 people received information about domestic violence in the past 12 months and the source of information that respondents received the most was TV, followed by meetings of residential groups/organizations [1].

Outstanding in the activities of preventing domestic violence must mention the activities of reconciliation and counseling in domestic violence prevention. Counseling and reconciliation are considered the key solutions stipulated in the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control 02/2007 and the guiding viewpoints of our Party and State. Assessing the work of reconciliation at the local level, 53.5% of respondents in the 2013 Survey said that the work of reconciliation was effective. Counseling activities on domestic violence prevention and control are mentioned as community counseling groups for both male and female groups [2013]. According to the report in 2012, there were 13,927 counseling groups nationwide, providing counseling to 17,415 perpetrators of violence, mainly men [2].

In addition, the model of PCBLGĐ was built with 3 main activities: Activities of the Steering Committee of the PCBLGĐ Model; PCBLGĐ Club; PCBLGĐ Group. The PCBLGĐ Group's main task is to promptly intervene in cases of domestic violence and provide advice.

not only for victims of domestic violence but also for perpetrators of violence. The Domestic Violence Prevention Group is considered the most effective activity currently on domestic violence prevention at the local level with the following operating mechanism: In each locality, group members make a list of people at high risk of causing violence (alcoholism, people who have committed violence, families with frequent conflicts, families without stable income, economic difficulties...) to monitor, meet and consult on behavioral skills in the family and domestic violence prevention. With the recorded data, it can be seen that after each year, the number of domestic violence cases is only about half of the number of cases of the previous year. It is worth noting that in 64 communes/wards/towns implementing the model during the pilot period, there were no serious domestic violence cases and the statistics and reporting on domestic violence were also performed best, with the most complete data compared to communes that did not implement the model in the province or city. After 30 months of piloting the model of domestic violence prevention and control in communes/wards/towns, the phenomenon of domestic violence in the pilot area of the model has not ended, but the number of domestic violence cases has decreased significantly [29]; In the handling of violations of the law on domestic violence prevention and control: According to the report results of 61/63 provinces and cities, in 2012, there were 33,162 men who committed violence, of which 24,523 were summoned for community comments and criticism, accounting for 64% of the number of perpetrators of violence reported in 2012. Educational measures at communes, wards and towns were also applied by localities, accounting for 14.4% of the subjects who committed domestic violence detected, followed by administrative sanctions accounting for 4.9%, contact prohibition measures accounting for 2.6% and criminal prosecution accounting for 0.9%. Assessing the effectiveness of measures to handle perpetrators of domestic violence, the 2013 survey showed that 39.5% of respondents commented that the measure of providing feedback and criticism in the community was effective, while 32% of respondents considered the measures of administrative sanctions and banning contact with victims of domestic violence to be effective [30].

In the CCIHP project in some localities, a number of club models have been established for men - perpetrators of violence and men in general, for example the model of the "friendly father and son" club, the "Men do not drink" club for men and vulnerable people, the "men" club established by CIHP. The Farmers' Association also integrates communication on gender equality and gender violence into its membership activities and recently conducted the first training course on how to work with male perpetrators of violence. Preventive activities are also carried out with the group of men who are about to have children for the first time and

High school male student groups (CSAGA). These clubs are places where men can discuss their own family problems, how to solve family problems without using violence, without beating children, or yelling at their wives. The clubs also discuss the harmful effects of alcohol and domestic violence on women and children, how to quit drinking and control anger [49],[90].

Hagar - an international non-governmental organization that supports the protection, rehabilitation and capacity building of women and children who are victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual abuse operating in Vietnam since 2009 has stated: " Violence can be limited and eliminated by men. They are the factors that "create" and can also be the factors that "eliminate". To do this, men need to have a more correct perception of their position and role in society, of masculinity." From the above orientations, Hagar has built a process of intervention and support for perpetrators of violence including 4 steps with many activities integrated in the steps including: Step 1: Handling reports of domestic violence; Step 2: Preventing perpetrators of violence, protecting victims of domestic violence; Step 3: Determining the level of domestic violence and making decisions on handling; Step 4: Monitoring and supporting perpetrators of domestic violence. Outstanding in the social work activities with perpetrators of violence of HAGAR in Vietnam is the club model for men - one of the activities that brings high impact in the work of preventing domestic violence. The club uses the method of "Art, creativity" and the creative cycle to impact members. This creative process includes 5 steps: Step 1 Preparation: These are gentle warm-up exercises, including self-massage or yoga exercises, collective activities, building trust, cooperation among members in the club. This step helps them feel safer, more confident, active, ready to participate, open, and receptive to new things; Step 2 Initiation : The exercises used in this step aim to help members focus on their body, mind, and emotions. Through the exercises, members will understand themselves better, become stronger, and courageously look at themselves, thereby gaining new ideas, new energy, and new perspectives on the behaviors they have done and are doing; Step 3 Organizing: Members will give their opinions, and the opinions will be arranged to build new models and behaviors; Step 4 Sharing: Encourage members to exchange and discuss their feelings, life, work, etc.; Step 5 Re-enacting and renewing : Re-enacting the

their experiences and find new meanings and perspectives, then renew their energy to find suitable solutions to change themselves. Joining the club, men have the opportunity to share their views and thoughts about the role and position of men in the family as well as in society. From there, they have a more correct view of their responsibilities towards their family and loved ones [68].

Within the framework of the project " For a community without violence " of CCHIP Vietnam, "A model of integrating gender-based violence prevention based on medical facilities and communities" was built in Cua Lo town, Nghe An province with a group activity model.

“Responsible Men” (For men who commit acts of violence). The project has 2 groups of Responsible Men currently operating. After 13 sessions, most members of the Responsible Men group feel that they have learned a lot of knowledge and behaviors related to gender, gender violence, law, and communication. In addition, many members shared that they have applied the knowledge and skills learned into their lives to make their families happier and more harmonious, and together with their spouses, they build happiness for their small families. Extracurricular activities for the men's group are the key activities of the project. As of 2012, the project has completed extracurricular activities for 40 men and 90 women. When participating in group activities, members not only know how to apply knowledge and skills to their own lives but also disseminate knowledge and skills to people in similar situations as themselves [95],[96].

The Da Nang Men’s Pioneer Club is the most recent successful implementation model with men who commit violence to reduce domestic violence in the community. The project is implemented by the Da Nang Women’s Union with funding from the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and P4P. The intervention model with young and middle-aged men aims to transform negative masculinity and prevent violence against women before it occurs. Activities towards this goal include creating gender-equal attitudes, raising awareness of violence, building skills to maintain happy relationships, promoting men’s volunteering to participate in

community violence prevention advocates. The model was implemented in two wards/communes of Da Nang for 15 months, with a limited budget of 73,000 USD. After the period of operation, the Club achieved the following results: 24 instructors were trained through two training courses (5 days/course) to use the participatory approach in running Club activities. During the project implementation, the instructors were promptly supported through 8 experience sharing sessions and additional skills training with the Project Management Board; 64 club activities were organized with the participation of 93 members of pioneering men's clubs. Club members organized 4 events in the community, attracting the participation of 410 people, using creative community communication methods such as quizzes, crossword puzzles, role-playing - interactive drama, painting and discussing short films; 30 community communication sessions were organized by members of the Pioneer Men's Club in 10 residential areas with the participation of 750 people (equally divided between men and women) on 3 main topics (gender, gender and what it means to be a real man; understanding violence against women; making healthy and happy sexual choices); Materials for facilitators were revised based on feedback from facilitators and published by the United Nations and P4P; 2 experience sharing workshops with 122 delegates (58 men) from relevant departments at the district and ward levels and 1 national experience sharing workshop. End-of-term studies conducted independently by UN Women and P4P showed that the model had a significant impact at three levels: the participants themselves, including club members and facilitators, their families and others in the community [101].

Through analyzing and evaluating the current research situation on social work in domestic violence in Vietnam, affecting both groups of women - the main victims of domestic violence and men - the perpetrators of domestic violence, it can be seen that this issue is receiving attention not only from scientists in many different fields but more importantly from domestic agencies, unions and governments. However, up to now in Vietnam, there has not been any scientific research project that fully describes the picture of research and evaluation on the issue of social work services for men in reducing domestic violence on the basis of the social work sector.

1.3 General assessment of research situation

1.3.1. Results of research projects carried out

Firstly, domestic violence is a research concern of many different scientific fields such as Sociology, Psychology and Social Work... There have been studies assessing the current situation of the prevalence of domestic violence as well as analyzing the causes of domestic violence conducted in almost all countries in the world, showing the complexity and diversity of forms of domestic violence.

Second, through the analysis of research results in many different fields by foreign authors, there has been an assessment of intervention measures and services for both groups of women - the main victims of domestic violence and men - the perpetrators of violence. Especially the support intervention measures for men, countries around the world have paid attention very early with the support of the government system, from which they have built and deployed very extensive support services for men to prevent domestic violence as well as reduce this problem since the previous decades and have increasingly developed diversely up to now.

Third, in the field of social work, working with men who commit violence is increasingly receiving attention and focus not only from the state level but also from the social community. In the world, there are many documents, reports, and scientific research projects evaluating social work services with men who commit violence and always consider them as the top support target to prevent and reduce domestic violence in a sustainable way.

1.3.2. Gaps that have not been researched

Through the process of reviewing documents, the author found that the topic of social work services with men in reducing domestic violence is a broad research topic, with many specific research areas that have not really attracted the attention of researchers such as:

Firstly , most studies assessing the status of domestic violence are mainly from the perspective of women - the main victims of domestic violence, and there has not been any assessment report from the perspective of men - the main perpetrators of domestic violence.

Second , in Vietnam, through a general study, it is found that working with men who commit violence based on the foundation of social work is still quite new and has not been specifically regulated or implemented in a clear and consistent manner. This is largely because the social work profession was "born late" in Vietnam and still has many gaps.

Therefore, currently in Vietnam, there has not been any study evaluating the current status of social work services for men in reducing domestic violence in a comprehensive, systematic manner in theory and practice.

Third, research on factors affecting the effectiveness of providing social work services to men to reduce domestic violence has not been mentioned in Vietnam.

Fourth, research on solutions to improve the effectiveness of providing social work services to men to reduce domestic violence is still limited.

1.3.3. Issues to focus on solving

To achieve the goal of conducting research systematically, comprehensively and deeply, the thesis has synthesized and analyzed existing studies on social work with domestic violence as well as social work with men who commit violence in preventing and reducing domestic violence. The thesis selects and inherits the results of many domestic and foreign works, and continues to clarify the tasks set out in theory and practice in the research. Carrying out the topic " Social work services for men in reducing domestic violence in practice in Quang Ninh province ", the author identifies the contents that need to be focused on and solved: Theory and reality of social work services for men in reducing domestic violence, factors affecting social work services for men in reducing domestic violence in Quang Ninh province. On that basis, the thesis proposes a number of recommendations, solutions, and applications of group social work in the model of the men's club for domestic violence prevention and control to help the provision of social work services to men with domestic violence in reducing domestic violence in Quang Ninh province to achieve higher efficiency and reduce domestic violence.

Chapter 1 Summary

The literature review shows that the issue of domestic violence and social work with men who commit violence in preventing and reducing domestic violence is a research concern of many different scientific fields. Men committing violence against women in the family is common in many countries, whether economically developed or not, in many different forms; Current programs for care and prevention of domestic violence are quite diverse. In Vietnam, studies on activities, programs, and social work services to support men who commit violence are mainly carried out systematically by projects and non-governmental organizations. Social work services to prevent

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