What would changes in his behaviour look like?

Assessment of change in a man who uses violence should draw on multiple sources of information, particularly the mother and children, (not just a self-report) and include attention to the following issues at a minimum.

The Spence Coffey (2009) resource outlines how a man’s change may be experienced for a child:

• My dad respects my mum
• My dad listens to my mum when she has something to say
• My dad is nice to my mum
• My dad likes it when my mum visits with her friends and family because Mum comes home happier
• Sometimes my mum makes the big decisions and sometimes my dad makes the big decisions in the house and sometimes they make those decisions together
• My dad knows how to handle being angry without hurting other people
• My dad isn’t afraid of being gentle and kind to my mother, my brothers or sisters, or me
• Even when my dad is stressed out from work or something else, he still treats us well
• I’m not afraid to ask my dad questions or tell him about things I’ve done wrong
• My dad gets mad at me sometimes but I’m never scared he’s going to hurt me
• My dad knows how to stand up for himself or speak his mind without getting violent physically or verbally
• My dad knows and cares when I’m feeling bad or upset
• My dad doesn’t criticise me when I make mistakes
• My dad knows a lot but isn’t afraid to say when he doesn’t know and ask for help
• When I grow up I want to be treated the way my dad treats my mum. Or, I want to treat my partner the way my dad treats my mum.