Background
The REVIVE Prevention program is being evaluated as part of the Partners in Prevention of Sexual Violence Project, which is funding nine community organisation and their prevention of sexual violence programs. Transforming Justice Australia has developed the program, which has then gone through a 6-month development process with the research team at La Trobe University, which has included developing a rigorous evaluation plan. The REVIVE Prevention program supports men at risk of committing sexual harm by targeting key risk factors through a restorative justice approach.
Aim
The program focuses on challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours while helping participants build the skills necessary for healthy, respectful relationships and prosocial conduct.
Methods
The evaluation will adopt a narrative approach to trace each man’s journey through the REVIVE Prevention program, capturing their experiences at multiple points.
The design will include:
>Interviews and focus groups
>Fidelity sheets
Significance
The REVIVE Prevention program is a pilot program that responds to a critical gap in the primary and secondary prevention of sexual violence namely, the lack of evidence-based interventions targeting men at risk of perpetration. REVIVE adds a relatively new approach to existing intervention models that work with victim-survivors as well as interventions that focus on post-incident responses. REVIVE does this by working directly with men identified as being at risk of using sexual violence. Delivered by Transforming Justice Australia, REVIVE is grounded in restorative and transformative justice principles, offering a culturally informed and trauma-aware model that acknowledges the complexity of individual and systemic factors that drive sexual violence and harassment. Through a realist, narrative-informed evaluation framework, the evaluation of REVIVE explores not only whether change occurs, but how, for whom, and under what conditions. This approach provides insights into mechanisms of accountability, shifts in belief systems, and the relational contexts in which meaningful behavioural transformation can take place. If effective, REVIVE could serve as a blueprint for the development of non-punitive, community-led programs that focus on prevention without reinforcing stigma and shame. The impact of REVIVE extends beyond individual behaviour change. It has the potential to shape policy discourse on prevention, expand the suite of tools available to address sexual violence, and inform the design of justice responses that prioritise repair, responsibility, and cultural safety. By rigorously evaluating this pilot, the PiPS project contributes to the emerging global evidence base on perpetrator-focused prevention and challenges entrenched assumptions about who can change and how.
Funding Body
La Trobe University and Department of Social Services
Project start date
May 2025
Expected completion date
December 2026 
