Thursdays in Black - Hamilton Abuse Intervention Programme

The Hamilton Abuse Intervention Programme (HAIP) is the longest running NZ programme aimed at educating men about stopping violence. It's based in the Waikato, operates over a 25 week time period, and has at least one group specifically focused on Maori going at any one time.

The programme operates from a power and control analysis of family violence. The programme is based on the Duluth model for batterer intervention groups and operates from a modified version of the Duluth manual, Education Groups for Men who Batter.

Consisting of 25 two-hour sessions, the HAIP programme covers the themes of non-violence, non-threatening behaviour, respect, support and trust, accountability and honesty, sexual respect, partnership, and negotiation and fairness. Each theme is covered over a three week period, with one induction session at the start of the programme.

The men’s education programme focusses on changing men’s beliefs about relationships and the social roles of men, women and children, with the aim of ending violent and controlling behaviour. The sessions aim to get abusers to look at the costs of hierarchical relationships where they have power-over, dominate and/or control their partners and children. Relationships based on equality and respect are posed as alternatives.

While most participants are ordered to attend by court or probation systems, others come through community agency referrals, or self-refer. The men are asked to pay a small amount per session ($10 waged, $5 unwaged) although other arrangements can be made.

HAIP's men's programmes are funded by contracts with Community Probation Services and with the Ministry of Justice (Courts), with additional funding for non-mandated clients coming from CYF and grants.

There's much more information, including a whole lot of research citations, at the NZ Family Violence Clearinghouse.