Programme helping perpetrators acknowledge abuse

The BBC has changed the names of the males mentioned in this story to protect the anonymity of the victims of domestic abuse.

A charity based in Walkden, Greater Manchester, is running a support programme to help male perpetrators take accountability for their domestic abuse.

The group, known as Talk, Listen, Change, runs a 'bridging to change' programme to help heterosexual men who acknowledge their harmful behaviour and want to change.

The sessions have received positive responses from members, with one claiming it had completely "changed his life".

The course combines a mixture of group therapy and one-to-one sessions and is run by Tony Sheppard, the group facilitator, who has also spoken to BBC Radio 5 Live as part of a project on abuse against women.

He explains that the programme works by men taking accountability for their abuse.

"In that first session, they read out what abuse they've perpetrated, their worst act of abuse, and what impact it had on their partner. It's about men being open, transparent and vulnerable."

"A lot of stuff we've got to overcome is denial, minimalization, so in those first few weeks, it's about getting the men to take responsibility, and a motivation to change."

But the impact of the sessions is also shown through Home Office statistics.

Tony adds: "They say that people that can prove the cause means there's 80 per cent less chance they go on to be abusive, it's that powerful.'

Frank is a former member of the group, he was born and raised in Manchester. The course was recommended to him after being found guilty of domestic abuse, and Frank believes it has "changed his life".

"We could be open and frank and say what we had done, and then discuss how you could have approached it differently. It just becomes part of your life, the more you put into practice what you've learnt, the better you become."

"And if anger is coming towards you or things are annoying you, you can just let it go. I'll move myself away and I won't respond. If somebody did something wrong on the road, I'd be out of the car wanting to have a punch-up. I don't do that now."

Frank believes it's more important than ever for men to communicate with each other.

"They don't talk about how they feel. There needs to be more groups like this where they can talk. There just needs to be more thought put into it. But men seem to think, oh, we don't need that. Brush it away. And they don't accept it."

From the group talks Frank has reached out to those he had hurt.

"I've apologised to and said sorry for some of the things I did. My ex-partner, but also other people outside of the relationship. It's not nice to bully."

Paul is a current member of the group, he is married with five children. He believes the course has changed him and is helping to repair the relationship with his wife.

"It's almost like learning a new language, particularly in being vulnerable, not suppressing things."

"I'm fully aware of the years of hurt that I've caused that may take years of repairing. So I'm not expecting at the end of 30 weeks, but I know I'll be very different, I know it's part of the repair process."

Radio 5 Live's Nicky Campbell will be joined by a panel of experts and a studio audience to discuss women and girls' safety online, in public spaces and at home. Listen on BBC Sounds from 0900GMT

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