Evaluation of the Drive Intervention for High-Harm Domestic Abuse Perpetrators in England and Wales Using a Quasi-Experimental Approach

Marianne Hester (), Ana G. Ortega-Avila, Nathan Eisenstadt and Sarah-Jane Walker
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Marianne Hester: Centre for Gender and Violence Research, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK
Ana G. Ortega-Avila: Department of Human Nutritional Science, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Coyoacán, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Nathan Eisenstadt: Centre for Gender and Violence Research, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK
Sarah-Jane Walker: Centre for Gender and Violence Research, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-24

Abstract: High-risk and high-harm domestic abuse perpetrators pose the greatest risk of serious harm to (ex-)partners and family members. Robust evidence of perpetrator intervention is lacking for this group. The Drive perpetrator intervention in the United Kingdom focuses specifically on high-harm perpetrators to reduce abuse and increase safety of victims, using individual case management via support and disruption, co-ordinated multi-agency response and targeted support to victims. This paper reports on evaluation of the Drive pilot. A high quality quasi-experimental approach with individually randomised intervention and controls was applied in three areas in England and Wales. High-risk perpetrators (N = 2627) were allocated randomly to either Drive or usual care (support to victim). Change in safety and risk for Drive-associated victims was compared with the usual care victim group. Longer-term outcomes were assessed before, during and 12 months following the intervention for Drive and control group perpetrators at one site. The Drive intervention reduced abusive perpetrator behaviours and increased safety for victims compared to the control. The reduction in perpetration by both serial and repeat perpetrators sustained for a year after the end of the intervention and was statistically significant ( p < 0.001) for Drive perpetrators compared to the control.

Keywords: domestic abuse perpetrators; perpetrator intervention; quasi-experimental; victim safety; high-risk domestic violence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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