Working with South Asian male perpetrators of intimate partner violence in British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

This article outlines effective intervention strategies for probation officers working with South Asian men in British Columbia, Canada, who have assaulted their partners. It is part of a larger qualitative research study aimed at determining effective intervention strategies for frontline personnel that work with South Asian men, as well as determining effective prevention strategies aimed at policy makers and members of South Asian communities. Seventeen in-depth interviews were conducted with South Asian frontline workers that included police officers, probation officers, counsellors, child protection workers and victim service workers. The audio-taped data was transcribed and analysed by identification of themes and subthemes. Probation officers need to respect their clients’ cultural values while still holding these men accountable for their behaviour. Interventions that address patriarchal attitudes, the stressors arising out of immigration/acculturation, influence of extended family, and substance abuse were identified as being key factors in changing behaviour.