Stopping Violence Services — New Zealand's Court-Linked Network of Non-Violence Programmes for Men

New Zealand delivers court-linked group programmes for men who use family violence through a nationwide network of Ministry of Justice-accredited community providers. The oldest identified provider, Stopping Violence Services Christchurch Inc., has operated continuously since 1983; the current MoJ accreditation and funding framework was reorganised from 2014.

Men can be mandated to attend via a Family or Criminal Court order or Community Probation supervision, or can self-refer. Programmes are typically delivered as 8-week psychoeducational group courses, though researchers argue a minimum of 20 weeks is needed for durable change.

As of the early 2020s, 48 MoJ-approved providers operated nationally, with state agencies referring more than 9,000 people (around 90% men) into stopping-violence programmes annually, and combined Ministry of Justice and Corrections funding exceeding NZ$24 million a year. A Ministry of Justice evaluation found non-violence programmes reduced reoffending among participants and that skilled facilitation and Kaupapa Māori cultural approaches were associated with stronger outcomes.

A 2016 NZ Family Violence Clearinghouse policy paper described the national response to perpetrators as 'piecemeal and insufficient'; this is a genuinely contested evidence base rather than a clean success story.