The reverse role play - an innovative way of confronting men

Abstract

The need to confront men who behave violently toward women is still very much in evidence in Australian society. In this article we discuss an innovative activity, called the Reverse Role Play, which was designed as a conversation with the partners of violent men. During the Reverse Role Play, violent men have the opportunity to walk around in their partners' shoes for awhile and by doing so they often become aware, perhaps for the first time, of the consequences of their damaging behaviour. This can lead to the development of empathy in violent men, which in turn can motivate them to begin the process of taking responsibility for and changing their behaviour.