DOMESTIC abusers are less likely to reoffend if they take part in a new counselling programme, a Southampton study has shown.

The two-session counselling programme for low-level, first time domestic abusers can cut re-offending rates by a third, according to the researchers behind the experiment.

The trial also saw the harm suffered by victims in cases of re-offending reduced by over a quarter when the abuser had taken part in the inexpensive, charity-run scheme.

Working in partnership with Hampshire Constabulary, a team from Cambridge University's Institute of Criminology monitored more than 100 male minor domestic abuse first-time offenders undergoing the Cautions and Relationship Abuse (CARA) programme.

Developed by the Hampton Trust domestic abuse charity, based in Southampton, the scheme consists of two five-hour group workshops with a counsellor held a month apart where they were encouraged to reflect upon their behaviour and how they might change it.

The study only involved adult men who had received conditional cautions for first arrests for low-harm domestic abuse after admitting their offence, were not judged 'high risk', and had no record of any violence in the preceding two years.

All victims agreed to their partners' participation.

When researchers followed up with participants a year on the results, published in the Cambridge Journal of Evidence-based Policing, showed 35% fewer men had re-offended against their partner than offenders in a control group.

Using the Cambridge Crime Harm Index, a new means of measuring harm suffered by victims, those in the CARA group who did re-offend caused 27% less harm per offender to their partners than the control group.

The researchers said that several police forces want to replicate the use of the CARA course, but current guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service restricts the use of conditional cautions for domestic abuse across the country.

Study co-author Scott Chilton, assistant chief constable of Hampshire Constabulary and chairman of the Society of Evidence Based Policing, said: "CARA is an outstanding example of evidence based innovation that can influence national police policy and practices.

"This type of research, where professionals from law enforcement, working with academia and charitable organisations has proved to be extremely promising."