We used Home Office Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Fund resource in 2021-2022 to build on the findings of our 2020-2021 research. This new research focused on exploring:

• How approaches to Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DAPP) impact evaluation can be improved in the future. This focuses on understanding what works, what is promising and the feasibility of improving impact evaluation approaches in the future. The research has a particular focus on exploring how existing routinely collected data, such as Police National Computer (PNC), data can be utilised in impact evaluation.
• What an analysis of domestic abuse perpetrator criminal histories can tell us about the potential for identifying future perpetrator behaviour and any implications for early intervention/prevention. This has a focus on whether and how PNC data can be utilised in developing this evidence base.

The research aimed to take an approach which is supportive of developing the evidence base of ‘what works’ in delivering DAPPs. We recognise that the field is evolving, and that individuals and organisations involved in this area are striving to achieve the best outcomes for victim/survivors, families, and perpetrators.

However, despite these shared goals, delivering DAPPs is a highly complex area comprising different perspectives and viewpoints, both about how to implement effective DAPPs but also best approaches to DAPP impact evaluation. There are passionate views, and the issues are contentious. Not everyone will agree with everything in this research. However, we hope it provokes discussion and critical challenge, so that greater knowledge can be developed to support the effectiveness of DAPPs and the best approaches to generating evidence about their impact.

As part of the research we produced the following outputs:

• Criminal histories and approaches to DAPP impact evaluation: key findings
• Rapid evidence review 1: Approaches to DAPP evaluation - what works and what’s promising?
• Rapid evidence review 2: Criminal histories and domestic abuse perpetration
• Rapid evidence review 3: Data sources for DAPP evaluation – what works and what’s promising?
• Approaches to DAPP impact evaluation – an analysis of stakeholder views
• A DAPP impact evaluation toolkit
• DAPP evaluation using administrative data: a potential method

Please note the views reflected in the research are not necessarily those of the Home Office.

The documents can be downloaded below (zip file).