Men’s Referral Service launches in SA to help break the cycle of domestic violence

A new helpline for men desperate to stop abusive behaviour has opened after a surge in pleas for help in the wake of heartbreaking tragedies.

Men who are controlling or hurting their partner or children – but want to change – are being urged to take the first step by calling a new helpline from Thursday.

In a state first, frontline workers who are worried about a potential perpetrator of family violence will also be able to refer them to the hotline.

The $1.1m Statewide Perpetrator Response Service is funded by the State Government and will be operated by No To Violence.

It will offer phone counselling and referrals to face-to-face programs.

It will operate 8am to 9pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on weekends.

No To Violence chief executive Jacqui Watt said specialist counsellors would aim to help callers understand “the fact that you’re making a choice to use violence or control and you can make a different choice”.

“We realise all sorts of things can lead to family violence but there’s one impact, and that’s harm for the people you love,” she said. “It’s a really courageous thing to reach out for help but it might be the best thing you can do to save your family relationships.”

Services aimed at perpetrators of family violence – rather than victims – are limited in SA but demand has grown in the wake of tragedies such as the murder-suicide of baby Kobi Shepherdson and her father at the Barossa Reservoir.

Kobi Shepherdson. Picture: SA Police

Following their deaths in April, counselling services fielded a spike in calls from men worried about how they were treating their family, but some were told they would have to wait weeks for help.

Covid-19 lockdowns and isolation also led to a rise in reports of family violence.

In response, the federal government provided $1m to launch the Don’t Become That Man hotline in SA last June.

However the funding only covered 12 months and a spokesman for the service confirmed that, without ongoing revenue, it has had to close.

In the past year the DBTM hotline fielded calls from more than 460 men, typically aged 40 to 50. Most were employed, with children and living in suburban Adelaide. The spokesman said it had “redirected numerous men away from causing potentially devastating harm to their partners and family, and has enabled many more to start accepting and dealing with concerns they have about their behaviour”.

Human Services Minister Michelle Lensink said the new funding was awarded following an open, competitive tender process and No To Violence was a “nationally renowned” organisation.

The new service would also enable frontline workers helping families with “other issues such as gambling, mental health or substance abuse” to use the hotline if they “identify or suspect the use of violence in the home”, she said.

Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Assistant Minister Carolyn Power said services until now were “mostly focused on those men already in the justice system” and an earlier response was needed.

Statewide Perpetrator Response Service: 1300 766 491