Aboriginal Men’s Programs Tackling Family Violence: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Academic and community research identifies that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at a greater risk of being exposed to family violence than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. While much of the literature has had a clear focus on the protection of Aboriginal women and children, there is a dearth of research that has examined the nature and efficacy of Aboriginal programs that seek to address men’s use of violence. In recent times, governments, policy makers, and community organisations have all sought to gain a greater understanding of how men’s group programs, that are specifically aimed at tackling family violence, are addressing these issues. Utilising a scoping review methodology, this paper examined and summarised the available Australian and international literature available pertaining to these programs. Furthermore, from the findings of the scoping review the authors present a conceptual model for the purpose of discussing the complexities of tackling family violence issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men’s group programs.