STOP Domestic Violence Conference

The STOP Domestic Violence Conference 2025 will be held in the Gold Coast and explore the most pressing issues in domestic and family violence. This year, the theme is Turning the Tide: Supporting Survivors and Shaping Change – importantly bringing together those who drive systemic change, empower survivors, and challenge harmful norms. To learn more about this conference, Click Here.

Developing Interventions for Men Who Use Violence and Have Experienced Childhood Trauma: What Do We Know – the Example of Men Who Were Sexually Abused in Childhood. — Professor Patrick O’Leary

CEVAW’s Professor Patrick O’Leary will be a speaker at the STOP DV Conference, giving a compelling presentation on his important research. People using interpersonal violence are overwhelming are men, and most victims are female. Nevertheless, statistics show a significant proportion of child victims of sexual and physical violence are male. These males report deleterious effects of complex trauma such as shame and suicidality across the life course. Most men who have experienced childhood trauma do not go on to use interpersonal violence, despite the impact of complex trauma. Recognising and addressing the past trauma of men who used violence is viewed sceptically. It is seen to diminish their responsibility, as well as ascribe women with the responsibility to ‘take care’ of these men despite their violence and dominance. These genuine concerns create somewhat of an impasse on how best to respond to male trauma without it being at the expense of women. At the same time the intergenerational nature of domestic and family violence and the differential outcomes amongst male victims has highlighted the need to consider male trauma in the solution to end gender-based violence. Approaches that take an intersectional and pro-feminist approach offer hope in ways that can address trauma impacts, well-being, violence cessation, and responsibility simultaneously. This presentation provides some examples intervention and prevention innovations that attempt to address these dual issues for men and boys.