Exploring interventions for men and fathers who perpetrate violence against women and children: A scoping review

Background

Violence against women and children —including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse—remains a significant public health issue and frequently co-occurs within families. Although several interventions have been developed for men and fathers who perpetrate violence against woman and children, many do not assess their impact on children. Despite clear evidence of the harmful effects of violence on children's wellbeing, there is limited research examining how these intervention influence child outcomes.

Objective

This scoping review aimed to assess the impact of IPV intervention programs on child outcomes.

Methods

To identify studies, a comprehensive search strategy was developed using relevant subject headings and keywords. It was executed by a research librarian in July 2024 across seven databases and yielded 4493 studies. After screening references, four articles met the inclusion criteria of this review. Three studies reported improved child outcomes, with child ages ranging from 0 to 18 years old. Three studies used clinician- and parent-reported questionnaires, while the fourth conducted qualitative interviews with children and youth. Four programs were evaluated: Caring Dads: Safer Children (n = 38), Keeping Safe Together (n = 8), and Building Strong Families (n = 3045 fathers), and one unnamed program (n = 138).

Conclusion

The findings highlight a significant lack of research on the impact of IPV intervention programs on child outcomes. Further research will better inform policy makers, researchers, and clinicians on developing and adjusting the content and structure of intervention programs to effectively support both fathers and their children.