You can read the summary of the Mirabal project here, via this link. (https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/criva/ProjectMirabalfinalreport.pdf You can read RESPECT'S views of the outcomes here. ( http://respect.uk.net/research/our-research-partnerships/mirabal-multi-site-evaluation-project/ )
Mirabal had 36 men only, I repeat, 36 men only, from 4 accredited projects, that is from 4 accredited projects (very probably running at least 7 programmes) as the vital part of their research project, funded to the tune of £1.2 m, mainly funded by ESRC. Notice how these "Time 2" statistics are missing on page two - Time 1 are of course given, Mirabal had 26 women only on which to base their conclusions about partner outcomes.
Like all the other research listed below Mirabal proves beyond doubt that RESPECT accredited projects conclusively fail to engage with the men they attempt to work with.
The Centre for Social Justice called for their general abandonment and a complete new start, the link is here. Dr Louise Dixon highlighted the total reliance on ideological beliefs involved in their "causes", linked here, She called for the abandonment of their accreditation process.
The authors of Mirabal appeared a little shocked by the sheer lack of numbers upon which to base their findings. (P9) "METHODOLOGICAL LESSONS The numbers of men going through DVPPs were far less than anticipated," It is amazing that they would have anticipated more. Listed below are the relevant research papers. Every single one of them exhibits a total lack of "completions" on which to base any effectiveness research.
Ms Todd and Ms Debonnaire (before the latter became an elected MP, and others) are busily trying to use these horrendous figures to justify their own further existence, to encourage their entourage in their misplaced efforts and to block any sensible efforts from being developed. Although the research carefully mentions different types of project, Ms Todd has been very keen to encourage the use of DVIP's programme, for whom she worked until elected CEO of RESPECT. Following devastating criticism of DVIP in 1998 by research sponsored by the Joseph Rowntree Trust, she and Kate Iwi co-rewrote a programme which has been used by PAI PACT as a training vehicle, effectively concentrating many eggs in that one basket. The handle broke. The eggs lie scattered and broken across the country, like the very many men and families who had the sad misfortune to come in some contact with them. I personally drew attention to DVIP's 2007/8 figures where 33 men only completed their project. According to DVIP's claims that would mean that 22 completed it "effectively". The expenditure was £219k. It now looks as if with the addition of a further 3 projects they can still only muster another 3 completions who will submit to the research!
Mirabal – a £1.2m feminist inspired research project – to
A busted strategy!
A Background:“Author response
Perpetrator programmes for partner violence: A rejoinder to Respect
John Archer1∗, Louise Dixon2 and Nicola Graham-Kevan1,3
1School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom
2Centre for Forensic and Criminological Psychology, University of Birmingham,
United Kingdom, 3 School of Psychology, Mid Sweden University, Sweden
Purpose. To reply to the comments made by Debbonaire and Todd (2012) in relation to our critique of Respect’s Position Statement.
Research, practice and policy work better when they work together
Everyone agrees with the title of this section, although research seems to mean something different to Debbonaire and Todd and to ourselves. They state that they have a strong commitment to research, but this turns out to be to a particular type of research that conforms to their narrow preconceptions. Again, this section relies on assertions unsupported by evidence, rather than the extensive academic research on IPV that is currently available. We could find no details of their Mirabel project either in their response or on Respect’s website, and so are unable to comment on this.”
Opinion – David Eggins Mirabel research – what an absolutely disgraceful waste of precious research money £1.25 m, by an ideologically biased, (See Dr Louise Dixon’s Paper) radical feminist commissioner, RESPECT, aided by Thangham Debonnaire of RESPECT, employing feminist researchers whose main objective, by my reading of their research paper, was to advance the ideologically biased “so-called accredited work” by RESPECT as “best practice and offering value for money in which the general public and commissioning agencies can have confidence”.
The Mirabal project demonstrated yet again that the projects that RESPECT accredits , via its ideologically driven accreditation process, utterly fails to engage with men. Does that fact trouble RESPECT? Not at all. Not since Dobash and Dobash wrote up their research on the Change Project, details 46 completions from 132 men referred in 6 years. The course duration was about 40 hours .
http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/spr338.pdf
The above paper highlighted the drop-outs and the internal gender power struggle at DVIP in 1998 when Ms Todd worked there.
Crime Reduction Research Series Audrey Mullender, University of Warwick,and Sheila Burton, University of North London. January 2000
“However, this evaluation also suffered from low numbers as by the end only 31 men out of 351 went onto the second stage of the programme, and only six cases could be tracked and interviewed following substantial programme participation.” http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prgpdfs/perpet.pdf
South Tyneside:
Evaluation of the South Tyneside Domestic Abuse, PerpetratorProgramme (STDAPP) 2006-2008. Final Report, 1 June 2009 Dr Emma Williamson & Professor Marianne Hester University of Bristol, Please cite this report as: Williamson, E. and Hester, M. (2009) Evaluation.
The guts of this report said 6 completions in 2 years.
Tunarieu : http://www.relate.org.uk/domestic-violence-and-abuse-prevention-programmes/index.html provided evidence from 3 RELATE DV projects, Somerset - Change, Bournmeouth – Family Matters and Coventry – The Bridge.
36 completions for all 3 projects in 306 weeks! The vast proportion of dropouts occurred between the 3rd and 5th weeks. (I have a copy as this link no longer connects.)