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In the US the courts generally require men's participation in treatment programs instead of imprisonment for domestic and sexual abuse, although some men participate voluntarily. The content and philosophy of the programs vary, as does their length, which can range from three to nine months. The primary goal is for participants to accept personal responsibility for their violent behavior and to learn nonviolent ways to manage their anger and interpersonal conflict. Some programs attempt explicitly to confront traditional attitudes regarding gender roles and male dominance in relationships (78, 207).

Only a handful of such programs have been rigorously evaluated. Evaluations suggest that the majority of men (53% to 85%) who complete such programs remain physically nonviolent for up to two years after treatment (122, 187). But between one-third and one-half of men who enroll in such programs never complete them. Thus the proportion of all male abusers who benefit from treatment programs is small (122). Moreover, while men may refrain from physical violence after treatment, many continue other types of threatening or coercive behavior toward their partners (122, 439). Nevertheless, a recent evaluation of programs in four US cities found that most abused women felt “better off” and “safer” after their partners entered a treatment program (187).

Other recent programs encourage men to examine their assumptions about gender roles and masculinity and to become agents for change in the community. In the Philippines, for example, the NGO Harnessing Self-Reliant Initiatives and Knowledge (HASIK) uses gender training as a point of entry for organizing against violence in depressed areas of Quezon City. Men in the Talanay community formed a group named SWAT, for Support for Women Advocates of Talanay, to help men become better aware of gender issues. Members of the group intervenewith the abusive husbands of women who have sought help at the local crisis center (364).

In some communities groups of men have come together to challenge male violence and to explore new models of manhood. Hundreds of men from Nairobi recently took part in a march to speak out against gender-based violence. “We are here to assert men's commitment to eradicate the customs, beliefs and attitudes that influence men to violate women and mete out violence against them,” said Reverend Timothy Njoya, organizer of the march (138). Men's groups against violence exist in Canada, Nicaragua, Zimbabwe, and elsewhere (206, 300, 307, 465).