Origins of the Practitioners’ Network When the phenomenon of domestic violence was ‘discovered’ in the 1970’s, the emphasis, quite rightly, by activists and campaigners was on gaining recognition of the existence and extent of the problem, and the need for services to protect women and children. This was not an easy task. For nearly thirty years Women's Aid has been the organisation in Britain which has been in the forefront of this work. They have offered practical help and emotional support to countless women and their children who have suffered violence and abuse in its many forms, as well as challenging institutional and community tolerance of men's violence and campaigning for social change and legal reforms. Until the late twentieth century the focus left the perpetrators, although condemned for their violence in principle, chiefly untouched. A growing body of evidence had revealed that domestic violence is widespread and overwhelmingly perpetrated on women by men. However these men remained invisible and largely unaccountable for their behaviour. In the late 1980’s, spurred on by government plans to divert offenders away from prosecution, some activists in Scotland were considering how domestic violence offenders could better be dealt with by the courts. It was acknowledged that the usual fines and probation orders were unsatisfactory in holding offenders to account or promoting women’s safety. Growing awareness of work in America, in particular of the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, Minnesota, led to plans to pilot re-education programmes for abusive men which required them to take responsibility for their abuse and learn other ways of relating to their partner. In 1989 and 1990 respectively, two Scottish programmes for abusive men, CHANGE in Central Scotland, and the Lothian Domestic Violence Probation Project were set up. In order to highlight the criminal and unacceptable nature of men's violence to women the programmes were to operate as a sanction of the justice system. By locating the work within the justice system it demonstrates to men, to women and to the community at large that violence to any member of that community is illegal and socially unacceptable. Issues about the safety of women and children involved were taken into account and both agencies share with Women’s Aid a feminist analysis of the roots of men's violence. That analysis sees men's violence to partners as intentional and as but one aspect of a whole range of abusive behaviours, which have the purpose of maintaining male dominance over women. That male dominance is rooted in history and culture and reflected in institutional responses and traditional community tolerance of marital violence. In the early 1990’s other agencies throughout the UK began developing men’s programmes. From a conference in January 1992 hosted by CHANGE to enable practitioners to meet and share ideas, there developed the National Practitioners’ Network, which has subsequently met every six months. The Network is an informal grouping of bodies. It has no formal membership and no one is in charge. Agencies take turns to host meetings around the country and meetings have been held from Plymouth to Edinburgh. These meetings provide opportunities to meet and discuss common issues, to subject practice to peer scrutiny, to offer guidance to newcomers and to give each other support. A summary list of previous meetings is on the next page. In 1998 a steering group was formed to develop a membership-based organisation alongside the Network. At a steering group meeting in February 2000 a formal constitution was adopted and a committee elected to form a body provisionally called Respect. Respect; The National Association for Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes and Associated Support Services, was officially launched at the House of Commons on 7 March 2001.  Working to agreed standards and conforming to practice guidelines forms the basis for membership.                    A charitable company limited by guarantee registered in Scotland No 183989             Scottish Charity No SCO18322          CHANGE acknowledges funding from the Scottish Executive