Don't Forget About the Person Causing Harm

Today is Day 14 of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. This is part of my series, 16 tips in 16 days for getting your workplace domestic violence program off the ground.

If you missed any part of this series, you can go back to Day 1 here.

When we talk about workplace IPV programs, we often focus exclusively on survivors. That’s understandable — they are the ones experiencing harm. But if our goal is prevention and effective workplace safety, we cannot ignore the people causing harm.

I use the word “support” deliberately but cautiously. Supporting someone who has been abusive does not mean excusing or condoning their behaviour. The goal is empathetic accountability: holding them responsible while providing pathways to address the root causes of their behaviour. It’s a fine balance, but skipping this step leaves us with only reactive interventions rather than proactive prevention.

Why addressing the person causing harm matters

Research and frontline experience suggest:

• Abusive behaviour often stems from trauma, mental health challenges, and substance use. Estimates indicate 50–66% of people causing harm have co-occurring mental health or substance use issues.

• While less than 30% will seek help voluntarily, up to 80% will accept support if offered.

In other words, employers can play a critical role in intervening upstream, before workplace and personal harm escalates.

What can employers do?

1. Include referrals in workplace violence policies

Your workplace IPV program should explicitly reference free resources for employees who are causing harm.

Examples include:

• Ontario’s new 211 service for men who cause harm

• Psychotherapists and social workers specializing in IPV that are covered by your group benefits plan

• I Am A Kind Man (encouraging Indigenous men to end violence)

• Male Allies Training, Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region

2. Consider financial support for interventions

There are many more resources available that tend not to be covered by group benefits. Employers may consider self-funding voluntary enrollment in recognition of the fact that catching IPV upstream promises to reduce turnover, absenteeism, presenteeism, and disability-related costs later on.

Some notable programs and providers:

• Changing Ways 

• Caring Dads

• Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs' Men's Nonviolence Classes

Important caveat: Not all interventions are effective. Traditional anger management programs often fail to address coercive or controlling behaviour and may exacerbate risks. Evidence-based approaches focus on socio-educational models that teach healthy relationships, accountability, and respect.

3. Alternatives to termination in certain workplace situations

If an employee exhibits violence at work — for example, toward a co-worker who is also their partner — consider alternatives to immediate termination.

• Last chance agreements coupled with referral to counselling or intervention programs

• Involvement in risk assessment and safety planning to prevent escalation

• If unionized, discuss these options with the union proactively, before incidents occur

Finding an alternative to termination that still holds the respondent accountable is critical in the context of IPV for a few reasons:

1. Job loss usually results in escalated violence at home

2. Job loss may also cause financial hardship to the survivor

3. Termination pushes the "problem" out of the workplace without helping to fix it.

Why this matters

Supporting the person causing harm does not excuse behaviour, but it can:

• Reduce IPV escalation at work and at home

• Protect survivors and bystanders

• Improve workplace safety and productivity

• Lower long-term costs related to absenteeism, disability, and turnover

By including the person causing harm in your workplace IPV program, employers create a more comprehensive, proactive, and evidence-based approach.

Next Steps

Building an IPV program that addresses both survivors and the people causing harm requires expertise and careful planning. I provide a full suite of services for employers, including:

• Interdisciplinary team leadership

• Policy and procedure drafting

• Risk assessments and safety planning

• Staff and manager training

• Advisory support for complex cases

If you're curious about how this might work for your organization, please reach out. I'd love to speak with you.