RESEARCH REPORT Interventions for migrant and refugee men who use domestic, family and sexual violence: An integrative review of evidence
Policymakers, service providers and practitioners need better evidence to guide them in developing and delivering effective interventions to prevent and respond to DFSV use by migrant and refugee men.
For migrant and refugee families in Australia, domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) is perpetrated within the context of complex social factors. This can include precarious or irregular visa status, conflict-induced trauma, limited access to social services, isolation, risk of immigration detention, and language and communication barriers. Families may also encounter, and need to adjust to, different gender norms in a new country.
People from migrant and refugee backgrounds constitute a significant proportion of the Australian population and must therefore be considered when designing, implementing and evaluating DFSV interventions.
This review forms part of a larger study conducted by a team at the University of Melbourne, led by Associate Professor Karen Block. It aims to provide guidance on national policies for working with migrant and refugee men who use DFSV.
The review presents a critical analysis of the current state of knowledge on interventions for migrant and refugee men who have used DFSV. Using an integrative search strategy, findings from international academic and grey literature have been included to identify best practice principles, programs and models relevant to implementation in Australia.
Key implications
Key implicationsThe review found that:
- Community-led programs for migrant and refugee men who use DFSV that consider their specific migration-related experiences are critically needed.
- Interventions for migrant and refugee men who have used DFSV must incorporate intersectional practice approaches.
To enable this, governments will need to:
- increase the flexibility of funding for interventions
- provide funding in ways that specifically encourage partnerships between service organisations
- sufficiently resource evaluations.
For more details, see the recommendations summarised in the In Brief document for this report.
Publication details
This work is part of the ANROWS Research reports series. ANROWS Research reports are in-depth reports on empirical research produced under ANROWS’s research program.
This research was produced under the 2023-2027 research program People who use domestic, family and sexual violence.
Authors
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR KAREN BLOCK
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
GEMMA TARPEY-BROWN
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
DR NURUZZAMAN KHAN
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
PHUONG HOANG
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR GEORGINA SUTHERLAND
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
PROFESSOR CATHY VAUGHAN
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
ISBN: 978-1-925925-69-2 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-925925-68-5 (PDF)
52 pp.
Suggested citation
Block, K., Tarpey-Brown, G., Khan, N., Hoang, P., Sutherland, G., & Vaughan, C. (2025). Interventions for migrant and refugee men who use domestic, family and sexual violence: An integrative review of evidence (Research report, 01/2025). ANROWS. https://doi.org/10.71940/1h2k-x058