The Contexto Program at the University of Valencia hosted a Study Visit in Valencia organized by the European Network for the Work with Perpetrators (WWP EN), in collaboration with the program’s own team. The initiative was aimed at exchanging knowledge, experiences, and best practices in working with men who use violence against their partners.

The visit brought together professionals from different European countries from June 17 to 19 who work with intimate partner violence perpetrators and are part of the European network. This created a space for dialogue on different intervention models, institutional coordination, and the prevention of gender-based violence in Europe. The professionals were able to learn first-hand about the work carried out by the Contexto Program. The welcome and presentation session was led by Dr. Marisol Lila, director of the program, who presented the main objectives, lines of action, and foundations of the intervention model developed by the University of Valencia and the PSIMA Association.

The visit program combined training sessions, institutional meetings, and spaces for professional exchange. Among the planned activities, participants visited the GAMA Unit of the Valencia Local Police, which specializes in the prevention, detection, monitoring, and protection of victims of gender-based violence, domestic violence, and sexual violence. They also learned about the work of the Service for the Management of Sentences and Alternative Measures, with special attention to the referral, supervision, and monitoring of individuals convicted of offenses related to gender-based violence.

The agenda also included a visit to the Government Delegation against Gender-Based Violence in Valencia, where public policies on institutional coordination, state resources for victim protection, and the electronic monitoring system for restraining orders in cases of gender-based violence and sexual violence, known as the COMETA Program, were addressed. In addition, the group visited Espai Dona, a specialized service offering comprehensive support to women and victims of gender-based violence, where its main areas of social, employment, legal, and psychological intervention were presented.

In addition to the technical sessions, the Study Visit also included cultural activities in the city of Valencia, designed as informal spaces to encourage exchange among professionals. Participants took a tour of the city’s historic center and visited the City of Arts and Sciences, combining knowledge of the local context with the strengthening of ties within the European network.

This Study Visit reinforces international collaboration among organizations specializing in intervention with perpetrators and highlights the importance of developing coordinated, evidence-based responses focused on victim safety. For the Contexto Program, participating in initiatives of this kind provides an opportunity to share its accumulated experience, learn about other European approaches, and continue advancing in the improvement of prevention and intervention strategies to address gender-based violence.

The Contexto Program would like to express its gratitude to all the institutions, organizations, and professionals who collaborated in the development of this Study Visit and shared their experience and knowledge during the different sessions. Their involvement was essential in fostering international exchange and strengthening coordinated work to address gender-based violence.

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