A new domestic violence prevention programme has been launched in Donegal by the county’s Domestic Violence Liaison Group in conjunction with Move (Men Overcoming Violence) Ireland, a charity dedicated to supporting men to take responsibility for their violence and change their behaviour.

The Harm2Hope online group programme was unveiled at a function in Donegal town last week in an effort to combat rising levels of domestic violence throughout the region.

In the first six months of this year, Gardaí in Donegal received 497 reports of domestic abuse, while the Probation Service in the county is dealing with 17 active domestic violence cases, the highest number in the north west region.

Michelle Walsh, CEO of Move Ireland, says the new programme would prove ‘transformative’ for participants and their loved ones.

“The Domestic Violence Liaison Group in Donegal is doing incredible work and they approached us earlier this year to collaborate with them on this project,” she says.

“We applied to Cuan for funding and it was granted in August and we are delighted to launch the Harm2Hope programme that provides participants with the tools to change their destructive behaviours and rebuild their relationships.

“We see the transformative impact of this programme on couples and families every day, and we are eager to see this positive change in Donegal. Together with our community partners, we are determined to create a safer environment for everyone.”

In conjunction with the new initiative, Move Ireland has also appointed a new Domestic Violence Support Worker for the northwest region, based in Letterkenny, who will provide essential support to the partners and ex-partners of programme participants.

“For a woman who suffers domestic violence there is a multitude of supports available but the services aren’t there for the perpetrators who simply move on to their next victim,” says Michelle.

“Until we offer men the chance to rehabilitate and reform their ways, we will never eradicate domestic abuse.”

Among the agencies supporting the programme include An Garda Síochána; Cuan, the new state Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) Agency; the Probation Service, and Tusla.

Nationally, Move Ireland delivers an intervention programme, through community groups and online. The 23-week group

programme has a cognitive behavioural approach focused on motivation, responsibility, safety and acknowledgment of abusive behaviour.

It offers men a chance to learn about the impact of their destructive behaviour on the family while also supporting them to develop the necessary skills to live non abusively.

Move Ireland offers face-to-face support at its offices in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Louth and Meath, with online support available in Donegal, the northwest, the southwest and mid-eastern regions.

See moveireland.ie