Recommendations for an Innovative Gender-Sensitive Training and Education for Various Frontline Responder Groups

Rigid gender roles and gender stereotypes can limit both women's and men's choices, opportunities and access to power and resources. While both sexes suffer from domestic violence, women are more likely to experience repeated and severe forms of abuse, including sexual violence. However, the concept of gender goes beyond numbers, and it is an important human factor that is not integrated sufficiently in existing training, risk assessment tools and procedures. Understanding the gendered nature of domestic violence, but nevertheless taking into account that both men and women can suffer from violence, or be perpetrators, enables front-line responders to develop services that are sensitive to the different needs of individuals affected by domestic violence (DV). This chapter introduces the principles of innovative gender-sensitive training and education for various front-line responder groups. This chapter explains the reasons for it and how the gender norms and perceptions identified in the IMPRODOVA research, which may have a negative impact on front-line responders' responses to DV, were addressed in all IMPRODOVA instruments and guidelines in teaching formats.