OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine trains specialists dealing with domestic violence perpetrators

KYIV, 29 March 2010 - The first of 12 training seminars for psychologists and social workers engaged in corrective work with domestic violence perpetrators to change their behaviour started in Kyiv today.

During the two-day seminars, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU) in co-operation with the Ministry of Ukraine for Family, Youth and Sports, some 300 participants from all regions of Ukraine will study the psychology of domestic violence perpetrators and obtain professional skills to work with perpetrators.

"The training of specialists in corrective work with domestic violence perpetrators is a logical continuation of our common efforts with the Ministry of Ukraine for Family, Youth and Sports in this area and follows the joint development of the methodology," said Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. "Such work helps to incorporate and implement best practices from the OSCE region."

To make the work against the domestic violence problem more effective, the training sessions also focus on improving the co-operation between social workers and precinct police inspectors.

During 2009 an interagency working group with the support of the PCU developed the "Programme of corrective work with domestic violence perpetrators," the first of its kind in Eastern Europe. The training participants will be engaged in the implementation of this programme in 2010.

The seminars will last for one month and are part of a PCU project that aims to curb domestic violence in Ukraine.