Batterer Intervention Systems: Issues, Outcomes, and Recommendations
... Regarding the first variable, given that gender violence is based on what Maruna (2004) calls toxic cognitions, that is, dysfunctional thoughts that are characterized by being internal, stable and global, brief interventions are related to a lower effectiveness; along these lines, long interventions facilitate the consolidation and generalization of acquired skills (Arias et al., 2013). On the other hand, the follow-up period has been related as one of the most relevant moderators in recidivism, since it usually occurs in the first two years and, in the case of gender-based violence, in the first six months (Gondolf, 2002;Redondo et al., 2001). However, the inclusion of these moderating variables in the studies has not been enough to reliably explain the results, so researchers consider various hypotheses in this regard, mainly related to possible methodological deficiencies or the characteristics of the intervention program itself. ...
... For the search for moderating variables, the sequence of analysis carried out by previous meta-analyses was respected, since it is covered by theoretical criteria (Rosenthal, 1995). In this sense, the scientific literature has indicated the duration of the follow-up period, as one of the most relevant moderators in recidivism (Gondolf, 2002;Redondo et al., 2001), which is why it has been the first moderating variable to be analyzed. Along these lines, results shown in Table 3 reflect that most of the studies take into account the importance of this criterion, including long follow-up periods (k = 32), while few studies use a period less than 12 months (k = 7). ...
... Regarding the moderating variable of the follow-up period, the results were significant only for studies that used a period shorter than 12 months, showing an effect size in the reduction of recidivism close to moderate. In this sense, there is a certain correspondence with the scientific literature since, given that in gender violence recidivism tends to occur in the first six months (Gondolf, 2002;Redondo et al., 2001) and intervention with this group affects its reduction in this period; however, non-significant results for the period of more than 12 months do not allow us to extend this conclusion into the follow-up period. These results partially correspond to results found by Babcock et al. (2004), since in their study they found positive, significant, and small effect sizes for both follow-up periods. ...
In this research, a meta-analytic study is proposed with the aim of determining the state of the art of the efficacy of treatment programs for gender aggressors across different variables. Doing so is relevant in view of the inconsistency in the results of previous meta-analyses and the proliferation of new intervention programs for gender aggressors. The results of general meta-analysis show a positive, though not significant, effect of the intervention. The analysis of moderating variables shows a positive, significant, and close-to-moderate effect size for interventions lasting fewer than 16 weeks/sessions (δw = .39) and follow-up periods greater than or equal to 12 months (δw = .38), and a positive, significant and moderate size for interventions using cognitive-behavioral therapy (δw = .57). However, along the same lines, as previous meta-analyses, no definite conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of this type of program.
... As MBCPs have evolved and research increased, knowledge about male perpetrators has grown, with the first large-scale study by Edward Gondolf published in the early 2000s (Gondolf, 2002) through to more recent research (e.g. Aaron & Beaulaurier, 2017). ...
... There has been a growing body of research focused on the outcomes of MBCPs, however, this has rarely included evaluating partner contact and its contribution to program outcomes. Some researchers, such as Edward Gondolf (2002), have included partners and ex-partners in their research studies to identify whether or not there has been a change in violence following a program. However, these programs, in North America at least, did not offer partner contact. ...
... Partner contact services, irrespective of whether a victim/ survivor has or has not received other specialist DFV services, can support the struggles of women and children to obtain an "expanded space for action" in their lives (Kelly & Westmarland, 2015;Smith et al., 2013). The proactive nature of quality partner contact practice can also be beneficial given that one of the most significant barriers to women accessing support involves the fear of not being believed and heard, and of receiving judgmental or punitive responses (Gondolf, 2002). Campbell, & Green, 2019;Vlais, Ridley, Green, & Chung, 2017). ...
Partner contact involves working with the current or ex-partners of a program participant to provide them with support, information and safety planning. This evidence suggests that every woman with a current or former partner involved with such a program should be offered this kind of support from the program or a partner organisation. This research report provides a deeper understanding of how men’s behaviour change programs (MBCPs) support women and children through contact with them throughout the process.
The research shows that when MBCPs do not support victims/survivors of domestic violence and involve them in the process of change through partner contact, perpetrators may use their participation in the program as an opportunity to further their abuse. Similarly, if a man stops attending his behaviour change program, the risk to his partner or ex-partners is likely to increase.
It is important that victims/survivors have contact with support services that is not dependent on the behaviour of their abusers. In many cases, partner contact is also the first interaction that women and their children have had with formal services. As such, it is a crucial first pathway to support.
However, the findings show that across the various kinds of Australian perpetrator interventions, there is no consistent approach to involving partners in this process. The study also found that in practice partner contact is often not prioritised, as it is labour-intensive and resources are limited.
Implications for policy and practice can be found in the Key Findings and Future Directions paper accompanying this report. A Practice Guide has also been developed to help frontline workers apply the new evidence and prioritise victim/survivor safety when working with perpetrators of domestic and family violence.
... However, their success depends on multiple factors, such as referral type, specifically mandated or voluntary. In Europe and the United States of America (USA), male domestic violence offenders commonly receive court-mandated referrals to perpetrator treatment programs (Gondolf, 2002;Healey et al., 2009;Pence & Paymar, 1993). In contrast, perpetrator programs for voluntary referrals have been developed to work with perpetrators that have not been processed through the criminal justice system. ...
... Some scholars argue that voluntary participation can both facilitate change in the perpetrator and significantly impact other perpetrators in the program (Gondolf, 2004). Many practitioners consider that voluntary participants are easier to work with, and less likely to drop out, or re-assault in the future (Gondolf, 2002). ...
This study examines the factors motivating domestic violence perpetrators to participate in a voluntary-based intervention program. The experiences and determining factors around men’s positive and negative responses to this invitation were examined through semi-structured interviews with professionals, observations, and reflexive notes during the first meeting with 29 men. Two major themes emerged from the thematic analysis: the factors making men more likely to attend the first meeting or resisting the group intervention. These findings can help professionals recognize the challenges of inviting perpetrators to interventions, especially in countries with insufficient laws for mandated domestic violence perpetrator programs. The paper discusses the importance during the first meeting of building rapport and trust and recognizing complex family histories to encourage voluntary attendance and intervention engagement.
... Numerous treatment programs are developed to prevent further violence and improve safety in relationships since the recognition of IPV as a detrimental social problem in the late 60s (Eckhardt et al., 2013;Gondolf, 2002). IPV is traditionally treated with Duluth model approaches utilizing the feminist sociocultural perspectives (Pence et al., 1993). ...
... IPV is traditionally treated with Duluth model approaches utilizing the feminist sociocultural perspectives (Pence et al., 1993). Duluth model interventions emphasize re-education of batterers with the goal of guiding the perpetrators toward a more egalitarian relationship with women (Gondolf, 2002). ...
Intimate partner violence can lead to physical, economical, mental, and sexual well-being issues, and even death, and it is most commonly experienced by women. There exist a number of treatment models for the prevention and treatment of intimate partner violence (IPV). In this study, we provided a comprehensive meta-regression analysis of the effectiveness of batterer treatment programs, with a view to characterizing the interplay between different forms of IPV (physical, psychological, and sexual). Using meta-regression, we explore the effect sizes and whether IPV treatment methods have distinct impacts on the outcomes. We use the difference normalized by pretreatment mean and variance foldchange to uncover the relationship between different violence subtypes and how they drive each other. Specifically, our study found that studies with more pre-treatment psychological and/or sexual violence, lead to less favorable outcomes while the studies that start with more physical violence are able to demonstrate their effects more effectively. Results of this study can be used to help the clinician effectively select the treatment for the perpetrator based on the violence type and severity of violence in order to more effectively treat the needs for each specific relationship.
... La reincidencia es considerada el índice por excelencia de los resultados de un programa, pero se puede definir de forma dispar: con base en la palabra de la víctima, por medio de un nuevo registro policial o por el ingreso en prisión (Saunders, 2008). Por tanto, el problema más evidente alrededor de la medición de los resultados de los programas para agresores es establecer qué evaluar, cómo evaluar y cuándo evaluar (Gondolf, 2002;. Cuestiones como el tamaño de la muestra, el contar con grupo control y el tiempo de seguimiento vienen mostrándose determinantes para la validación de los resultados (Babcock, Green & Robie, 2004;Gondolf, 2002;2004). ...
... Por tanto, el problema más evidente alrededor de la medición de los resultados de los programas para agresores es establecer qué evaluar, cómo evaluar y cuándo evaluar (Gondolf, 2002;. Cuestiones como el tamaño de la muestra, el contar con grupo control y el tiempo de seguimiento vienen mostrándose determinantes para la validación de los resultados (Babcock, Green & Robie, 2004;Gondolf, 2002;2004). En España, todavía, estos parámetros necesitan ser consideradas con mayor rigor. ...
El objetivo de esta revisión es sintetizar el conocimiento científico sobre los programas de rehabilitación para agresores de violencia de género desarrollados en los centros penitenciarios de España. Para ello, se ha realizado una búsqueda exhaustiva de los trabajos publicados entre 2001-2015 y, tras aplicar los criterios de inclusión/exclusión, se han seleccionado un total de 9 estudios. Los resultados obtenidos pueden definirse como muy positivos en las evaluaciones postratamiento, si bien son escasos los estudios sobre reincidencia y que sean objeto de seguimiento a largo plazo. Las conclusiones indican que, pese a no existir datos concluyentes sobre los resultados de los programas, hay que continuar apostando por las intervenciones específicas intramuros.
... Further, the psychodynamic (Browne et al., 1997), attachment-focused (Sonkin & Dutton, 2003;Stosny, 1995), dialectical behavior therapy (Fruzzetti & Levensky, 2000;Waltz, 2003), and CBT (Adams, 1988) approaches were also used in IPV offender treatment. Today, many IPV offender treatment programs form hybridized approaches, often combining techniques and styles from multiple philosophies to shape their own unique programming (Babcock et al., 2007;Gondolf, 2002). In fact, findings from multiple studies have reported the most common combinations of program philosophy approaches incorporate the Duluth model and CBT (Cannon et al., 2016;Price & Rosenbaum, 2009). ...
... The ID:p0250 aforementioned evaluations have yielded mixed evidence of IPV treatment interventions to date, and as a result, scholarly views on how effective IPV interventions have differed. Although there is acknowledgement of the small effect sizes, some scholars have attributed these findings to be promising when placed in the context of understanding the chronic nature of IPV and the relatively short treatment period (Davis & Taylor, 1999;Gondolf, 2002;Saunders, 2009). On the flipside, some scholars perceive the small effect sizes to be unpromising and problematic (Corvo et al., 2008;Dutton & Corvo, 2006). ...
In the culmination of 17 manuscripts by more than 40 scholars, the peerreviewed journal Partner Abuse published the Partner Abuse State of Knowledge (PASK), the largest scholarly scientific inquiry to date regarding the current state of knowledge for intimate partner violence (IPV), over several issues between 2012 and 2013. The purpose of this current two-volume special issue of Partner Abuse is to build upon these efforts, as promising empirical evidence has continued to unfold. The focus in this series centers on evidencebased treatment for victim–survivors and perpetrators of IPV. This introduction manuscript reviews the historical context of IPV and the evolvement of traditional IPV policies, programs, and treatment models. It then presents a brief overview of our current state of empirical knowledge regarding these traditional models. Finally, it highlights the emerging and promising models that will be presented throughout this two-part series.
... However, the evidence for both criminal sanctions (Maxwell & Garner, 2012) and perpetrator programs suggests significant scope for improvement, with perpetrator programs often producing small treatment effects (Babcock et al., 2004;Travers et al., 2021). Traditionally, perpetrator interventions were focused on sociocultural risk factors for IPV, aiming primarily to change men's patriarchal attitudes and behaviors (Babcock et al., 2007;Gondolf, 2002;Radatz & Wright, 2016). However, the mixed outcomes of such programs have prompted increased focus on individual-level psychological factors, with a view to expanding and improving the effectiveness of interventions (Radatz & Wright, 2016). ...
Theoretical accounts of recidivistic intimate partner violence (IPV) continue to differ considerably in relation to the relative weight given to psychological risk factors. A systematic overview of studies that have established psychological predictors of reoffending is currently lacking. This study aimed to identify and provide an overview of studies examining various psychological factors associated with IPV perpetration patterns. A systematic search of research conducted from 1945 to 2024 was carried out on PsycINFO, PubMed, and PILOTS. The inclusion criteria were that studies must not use self-reported reoffending data only, must use a criminal justice sample, must be longitudinal, participants must be over 17 years of age, and that studies must be published in the English language and peer reviewed. A total of 25 longitudinal studies examining individual psychological factors, proposed as potential predictors of IPV reoffending, were eligible. The identified factors were grouped into five categories: personality, anger and hostility, beliefs, attitudes and motivation, neurocognitive deficits and trauma (i.e., family of origin abuse/post-traumatic stress disorder). The current systematic scoping review found that the most-researched psychological predictor of IPV recidivism was personality. While studies vary in relation to the personality traits or disorders that contribute most to the likelihood of reoffending, in general, personality assessment appears to be a promising tool in predicting reoffending. Anger, childhood maltreatment, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), implicit attitudes, and neurocognitive deficits were also identified as predictors of IPV recidivism. Methodological issues were found to be present across studies.
... Meanwhile, a systematic review of cognitive behavioral group therapy to prevent IPV recidivism produced inconclusive results, suggesting potentially limited impact of these interventions (Nesset et al., 2019). Overall, there is insufficient knowledge to date on "what works" in the domain of treatment programs for IPV perpetrators (NBHW, 2020), as well as limited knowledge about the process or mechanisms promoting individual-level reductions in risk for violent recidivism (see example Gondolf, 2002). ...
... Přínos mezioborové spolupráce dokládají i zahraniční studie (např. Tsai, 2000;Gondolf, 2002). Dále byl sledován systémový přístup k řešení DN z perspektivy fungování celého rodinného systému. ...
For almost 15 years, some organizations in Czechia have been working with perpetrators of domestic violence through specialized programs and interventions. Yet, this nascent preventive strategy toward domestic violence remains inadequately supported by the nation´s institutional framework. This context presents a complex array of challenges and opportunities for advancement-the primary focus of this article. Through an expert survey, we present insights from both actors representing organizations endorsing such programs and professionals assisting domestic violence survivors. Complementing the survey, we also derive findings from focus group discussions involving stakeholders active in the execution of procedures aimed at domestic violence perpetrators (police officers, prosecutors, judges, probation officers, misdemeanour department officials, and attorneys, including actors representing the aforementioned organizations from the expert survey). Our research reveals two critical impediments to the broader adoption of PDN programs: a palpable accessibility deficit and an absence of systemic integration.
... L'analisi legata all'apprendimento sociale e alla socializzazione della violenza maschile porta infatti alle conseguenze opposte degli approcci psicopatologici o biologizzanti: l'elemento della scelta riconduce sul soggetto la responsabilità delle proprie azioni, e ne esplicita la possibilità di cambiamento. In questo senso, comportamento e soggetto vengono separati e la violenza non è più un attributo di chi la agisce ma delle sue azioni (Gondolf 2002; Westmarland e Kelly 2013; Lilley Walker, Hester e Turner, 2018): ...
Questo contributo costituisce una prima restituzione dello studio del-le pratiche e degli approcci dei programmi per autori di violenza (d'ora in poi, PUM), condotto a partire dall'analisi di alcune interviste svolte ad operatori/trici dei programmi per autori di violenza in Italia all'interno del Progetto Viva-Monitoraggio, Valutazione e Analisi degli interventi di prevenzione e contrasto alla violenza contro le donne. L'intervento con gli uomini che hanno agito violenza sulle donne consente di introdurre nuove chiavi di lettura al fine di arricchire la comprensione delle diverse articolazioni della violenza di genere, in particolare problematizzando i meccanismi di socializzazione del maschile. Per questa via è possibile sfidare una rappresentazione monolitica della maschilità che impedisce di scorgerne le potenzialità di cambiamento (Deriu 2017), nella prospettiva di formulare politiche volte non solo a favorire l'interruzione della violenza e il supporto delle vittime, ma anche e soprattutto a prevenirli attraverso interventi volti a modificare rappresentazioni e modelli comportamentali radicati nella cultura patriarcale, sotto l'auspicio di un più profondo mutamento culturale e sociale. Peraltro, in questa direzione vanno tutte le più recenti raccomandazioni e linee guida a livello internazionale. In questo senso, i programmi di intervento dedicati agli autori di violenza mirano a obiettivi di tipo riabilitativo.
In questo capitolo ci concentreremo su un aspetto fondamentale del lavoro svolto con gli autori da alcuni programmi italiani selezionati in base alla loro tipologia e storicità, cioè la definizione dell’oggetto dell’intervento – la violenza sulle donne – in base alla quale vengono definiti i percorsi e gli obiettivi dei programmi stessi. Si tratta di una prima analisi per inquadrare l’universo di significati e approcci adottati dai programmi, sulla base dei quali nelle successive fasi della ricerca, verranno analizzate le pratiche e gli strumenti operativi utilizzati nei percorsi con gli autori di violenza.
... In Nigeria, feminity is emphasised based on compliance and accommodating the desires and interests of men and their hegemonic masculinity characterised by power and authority (Connell, 1987). The violent extent in the context of women's reactionary behaviour to men in their intimate relationships suggests that male domination of economic, social, religious and sexual life of women and the constellation of abuses like intimidation, aggression and controlling acts by men (Gondolf, 2002) has led women into actively rejecting, selecting and adapting dimensions that presumably make their lives better. Consequently, the difficulty placed on wives to achieve their personal goals by religious fundamentals translate into frustration with their husbands bring about the need to strike out in ways that range from tongue lashing to overt violence (Henslin, 1990). ...
Contrary to popular opinion that women typically are victims of domestic and intimate partner violence, the experiences in Nigeria reveals a surge in the number of reported cases where men are victims and women are perpetrators of these forms of violence. Previous gender related studies have concentrated on investigating violence against women in Nigeria, but there is a dearth of studies on male victimhood in Nigeria. The study adopted the case study research design for an in-depth study of the situation in Nigeria. The study anchored on the secondary method of data collection, published and unpublished documents including books, journals, the internet and newspapers were used. The study adopted the frustration-aggression theory. The study argues that the patriarchal culture expects men to be dominant figures in relationships and within the household but when they fail to conform to socio-religious and moral expectations, they become vulnerable to various forms of aggression and violence. The study, consequently, concludes that the violent attitude of women in Nigeria today is construed by the perceived victimization and marginalization in their familial relationships with their partners. Furthermore, in order to get a broader outlook on the phenomenon, this paper interrogates how religious morality and fundamentalism affects Nigerian women and propels their violent reactionary behaviours towards their husbands during family conflict.
... weeks. These are intervals of practical utility for those using DYRA information for monitoring and intervening with FV, given that even when interventions are in place, when recurrence does occur, it is often in the following several months after an index episode (Gondolf, 2002). Finally, in field use, responses to the DYRA are automatically categorized for police into three discrete risk categories that serve as the basis for determining further intervention (New Zealand Police, n.d.-a). ...
In recent decades Family Violence (FV) researchers have developed risk assessment instruments to enable practitioners to identify the people who are most likely to commit FV in the future, and the families who are most likely to experience ongoing harm. Indeed, risk assessments have become a standard procedure for FV practitioners who are frequently required to make decisions with potential ramifications for families’ safety and wellbeing. Yet, despite considerable developments in risk assessment research and practice, risk assessment instruments have limitations that curb their value to FV practice. In addition, such instruments should be empirically validated, but there is limited evidence for the validity of risk assessment instruments used by agencies that respond to FV in Aotearoa New Zealand. Therefore, in this thesis, we examined the risk assessment procedures that New Zealand Police and the Integrated Safety Response (ISR) used for FV, with the purpose of contributing to the evidence base about risk assessment for FV in New Zealand and identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.
This thesis contains three manuscripts either published in or submitted to peer-reviewed academic journals; as well as supplementary chapters that support, extend, and integrate the research findings. In the first manuscript, we examined the predictive validity of risk categories from the Dynamic Risk Assessment for family violence (DYRA) and Static Assessment of Family Violence Recidivism (SAFVR)—the two risk assessment instruments that New Zealand Police use when responding to FV cases—for a sample of 2,115 cases with FV episodes reported to police in Waikato and parts of Canterbury between 1 November – 9 December 2018 (1,817 of which had complete risk categories). We examined the instruments’ ability to predict recurrence (i.e., a further FV-related call for police service) at three intervals (3 days, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks), and found both instruments had a poor ability to discriminate between aggressors who had a recurrence and those who did not, with the SAFVR outperforming the DYRA, and the DYRA performing especially poorly for non-intimate partner cases, and aggressors who were Māori or women.
In the second manuscript, we explored the risk assessments that Integrated Safety Response (ISR) triage team members conducted for a sub-sample of 842 cases with FV episodes reported to police between 1 – 14 November 2018. We examined the relationship between the factors triage teams recorded during their risk assessments and the risk categories the teams assigned, then tested the association of both the factors and categories with recurrence and physical recurrence within 24 weeks. The predictive validity of ISR triage teams’ risk categories was comparable to the results produced for the DYRA and SAFVR in manuscript one. The ISR risk categories again performed poorly for aggressors who were women, Māori, and for non-intimate partner cases; and overall, fewer than half of the factors triage teams recorded were associated with recurrence or physical recurrence. Then, in an additional chapter, we explored the triage teams’ factors’ utility for case management and found the factors could be used to create three sub-groups of cases with potential implications for their treatment and management.
Finally, in the third manuscript, we modeled the behavioral patterns of 2,115 aggressors with a FV episode reported to police in Waikato and parts of Canterbury between 1 November – 9 December 2018, by collecting reports for further FV episodes involving those aggressors during the two years after the index episode. We used this information to describe three latent states behind the information reported to police and identified four common pathways through the latent states over time. We concluded this manuscript by discussing changes that could contribute to improvements in how risk for FV aggressors is conceptualized, assessed, and communicated in practice.
In each chapter, we discussed the theoretical and practical implications of the findings, before integrating those findings and implications in a general discussion chapter. Taken together, the results presented herein indicate that the risk assessment instruments used in New Zealand can predict risk for FV recurrence better than chance, but that those assessments should be further developed to improve their value to FV practice and ensure they adequately capture risk for different types of FV cases and groups of people. This thesis advanced our understanding of the limitations of—and opportunities in—risk assessment research and contributed to the evidence base for risk assessment for FV in New Zealand.
... While rehabilitation programs often differ between countries, regions, or institutions, they are usually similar in that they are dispensed in a group format, and combine psychoeducational models such as the Duluh model (Pence and Paymar, 1993), with CBT approaches (Gondolf, 2002;Babcock et al., 2004;Feder and Wilson, 2005;Murphy and Meis, 2008;Eckhardt et al., 2013;Karakurt et al., 2019) that focus on reducing risk factors, such as cognitive distortions, skill deficits, and other criminogenic needs (Wexler, 2020). ...
Virtual reality (VR) allows the user to be immersed in environments in which they can experience situations and social interactions from different perspectives by means of virtual embodiment. In the context of rehabilitation of violent behaviors, a participant could experience a virtual violent confrontation from different perspectives, including that of the victim and bystanders. This approach and other virtual scenes can be used as a useful tool for the rehabilitation of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators, through improvement of their empathic skills or for training in non-violent responses. In this perspective, we revise and discuss the use of this tool in a prison environment for the rehabilitation of IPV perpetrators with a particular focus on practical aspects based on our experience.
... Interventions for people who commit IPV typically follow one of three treatment modalities: cognitive behavioural, feminist, or psychodynamic therapy. 289,290 Evidence is scarce for the effectiveness of these interventions in reducing violence both among people who commit IPV generally and among people who commit IPV and have mental health problems specifically. 245,291 This evidence deficit should be addressed as a matter of priority. ...
... Interventions for people who commit IPV typically follow one of three treatment modalities: cognitive behavioural, feminist, or psychodynamic therapy. 289,290 Evidence is scarce for the effectiveness of these interventions in reducing violence both among people who commit IPV generally and among people who commit IPV and have mental health problems specifically. 245,291 This evidence deficit should be addressed as a matter of priority. ...
Domestic violence (DV) is a major public health problem worldwide, impacting the physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety of women and families. DV during pregnancy is associated with additional health consequences, including obstetric risks, mental health problems, suicide and femicide. This chapter outlines the prevalence of DV globally and during pregnancy, its impact on perinatal physical and mental health and the evidence for interventions addressing the mental health of pregnant women experiencing DV. The perinatal period is an important opportunity for health services to identify women experiencing DV, initiate first-line support and connect them to appropriate agencies. Mental health professionals in contact with pregnant and postpartum women are well-placed to identify and support women experiencing DV. Addressing DV alongside perinatal mental health enables holistic care plans to be tailored to the bio-psycho-social factors precipitating and perpetuating women’s symptoms.KeywordsDomestic violenceIntimate partner violenceFamily violenceAbusePerinatal mental healthPregnancyInterventionsCommon mental disordersSocial determinants of health
... The findings, measured at one-month post-treatment, supported the likely effectiveness of MET in facilitating a short-term reduction of IPV behavior, increasing motivation for taking initial steps toward treatment, and correcting inaccurate beliefs concerning the prevalence of IPV and substance use (normative misperceptions). Reaching and enrolling this population in the trial was an important finding in itself, given that a very small percentage of abusers self-refer to treatment (Gondolf, 2002). Additionally, although the trial's marketing did not include mention of alcohol or drug use (see, Mbilinyi et al., 2008) a substantial percentage (43%) of men enrolled in the trial met criteria for a SUD. ...
This paper presents findings of a second trial evaluating telephone-based motivational enhancement therapy (MET) to motivate untreated and unadjudicated men who abuse their intimate partners to explore treatment options. Participants’ perceptions of how their abuse is negatively affecting them personally are a highlight of the paper. One hundred forty-one adult men were recruited through social marketing and randomly assigned to the intervention (MET) or comparison (Mail) group. The MET condition consisted of two feedback sessions guided by a personalized feedback report on participants’ intimate partner violence (IPV) and substance use. The Mail condition included a mailed educational brochure on IPV and substance use. Results supported the likely effectiveness of MET in short-term reduction of IPV behavior, marijuana use, and increasing motivation for treatment seeking particularly for participants who reported more adverse consequences of IPV to themselves. Findings emphasize the importance of including a focus in interventions on IPV’s impact on the abusers themselves. The study’s virtual participation and success in reaching and retaining a diverse population of male abusers can contribute to transformative justice and communities looking for alternative early interventions for men of color prior to encountering the criminal justice system.
... Além disso, apesar de um índice significativo aos quinze meses (40%), a partir daí não há substancial incremento na reincidência (ao final de quatro anos, 90% dos homens não havia praticado violência no ano anterior). Por fim, quanto à diferença na reincidência que pode ser associada ao programa em si, houve comparação com grupo de condenados que não participaram de programas de intervenção, concluindo-se que este último grupo teve um índice de reincidência 20% superior ao do grupo que se submeteu ao programa, o que representa uma substancial diferença (GONDOLF, 2002 ...
Objetivo: o presente trabalho busca analisar os programas de intervenção com agressores e sua eficácia no âmbito de medidas para o enfrentamento da violência de gênero. Método: para tanto, será realizada uma análise predominantemente qualitativa, por meio de revisão bibliográfica sobre o tema e estudos de casos, em especial dois programas de intervenção com agressores implementados no Brasil, a fim de avaliá-los à luz dos principais critérios de qualidade indicados pela literatura especializada. Resultado: conclui-se que os programas de intervenção com agressores, desde que implementados de forma adequada, são mais eficazes do que sanções tradicionais na prevenção da violência de gênero. Todavia, quando realizados sem critérios mínimos de qualidade, geram o risco de ineficácia e de avaliações equivocadas quanto a esse ponto.
... We acknowledge the implications of face-to-face interviews in terms of what men were willing to share and what we can claim of the data: what men shared cannot "be taken as evidence of 'success' in stopping violence" (Hearn 1999, 14). It is likely to reflect, at least in part, the effect of social desirability in shaping men's responses (Gondolf 2002). Hearn's (1998) observation that perpetrators narrate a "double self"-a past violent self and a present non-violent selfrepresents an inherent challenge in this context. ...
This article critically interrogates the ways in which men's talk about domestic and family violence (DFV) and change reproduce gender hierarchies which are themselves productive of violence. Drawing on interviews with men who have completed a perpetrator program, and building on the work of Hearn (1998), we show that these men’s conceptualizations of change both reflect and contribute to the discursive construction of masculinity, responsibility, and violence. By reflecting on men’s representations of change—and of themselves as “changed” men—we argue that DFV perpetrator interventions constitute a key site for the performance of dominant masculinities, reproducing the gendered discourses underpinning and enabling men’s violence.
... Similarly, Bumiller posits that by becoming an ally of a 'criminalised society,' the feminist movement has contributed to the criminalisation of minority and immigrant men and subjected women to increased scrutiny from the state (2008). Others contend that criminal justice interventions, especially mandatory arrest policies, have resulted in more aggressive policing in communities of colour, which can further impede the safety of survivors and other women (Richie 1996(Richie , 2000(Richie , 2012a and increase women's contact with the criminal justice system (Gondolf 1998(Gondolf , 2001(Gondolf , 2002. Finally, despite state intervention, rates of domestic violence victimisation remain notably higher among racial minorities and in communities plagued by poverty, unemployment, and low education levels (e.g. ...
... By 2008, 45 of the 50 states had developed guidelines or standards for DV treatment programs, which included program characteristic requirements such as program duration and philosophy (Maiuro & Eberle, 2008). As they proliferated, DV treatment programs were often hybridized, meaning programs were developed with various curriculums and philosophical approaches mixed together, often making each program unique to itself (Babcock et al., 2007;Gondolf, 2002). Soon to follow, results from a series of DV treatment program evaluations throughout the 1990s and early 2000s revealed variable results in reducing DV recidivism, with small overall effects that were significant in some, but not all, analyses (Eckhardt et al., 2013). ...
Several evaluations and meta-analytic reviews have suggested that domestic violence (DV) treatment programs have only a modest impact on reducing DV recidivism. In response, a growing number of scholars and practitioners have called for the integration of evidence-based practices into DV treatment programming. In recent years, one leading approach has been to explore the infusion of the ‘principles of effective intervention (PEI),’ the prevailing evidence- based practice in correctional programming, into DV treatment. Findings from initial empirical studies from scholars and practitioners working to infuse the PEI into DV treatment programs have shown promise. This article provides an overview of the PEI and research exploring the integration of the PEI into DV treatment; a discussion on how these research findings can inform DV treatment programs interested in adopting a PEI framework; and practitioners’ perspectives on implementing programmatic changes and collaborating on evaluation research while also continuing to provide DV treatment.
... Thus, there is still no conclusive evidence that one BIP model is more effective than another or that BIPs are able to consistently and significantly reduce IPV perpetration behaviors . Furthermore, methodological issues (e.g., loss to follow-up, heterogeneity of programs, lack of ability to randomize) make it difficult to conclusively say what impact programs have on perpetration behaviors (Gondolf, 2001). Finally, as some have argued, although quantitative studies of BIP efficacy are important, they also are limited in that they provide little descriptive information on the contexts and processes associated with change during treatment (Sheehan et al., 2012). ...
Qualitative research on batterer intervention programs (BIPs) has primarily consisted of interview-based studies of clients and facilitators. To date, no research has utilized observational data to understand how BIPs “work,” or the processes occurring in BIPs that promote prosocial behavioral change. Forty-four observations of BIP group sessions were conducted. Two key processes were found: “facilitator processes” (e.g., managing group dynamics and engaging clients in learning) and “client processes” (e.g., mutual aid, help-seeking, and support). More observational research on BIPs is needed to uncover the full range of processes occurring during BIPs and that can link group processes to client outcomes.
... Interventions for people who commit IPV typically follow one of three treatment modalities: cognitive behavioural, feminist, or psychodynamic therapy. 289,290 Evidence is scarce for the effectiveness of these interventions in reducing violence both among people who commit IPV generally and among people who commit IPV and have mental health problems specifically. 245,291 This evidence deficit should be addressed as a matter of priority. ...
Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is a global public health problem, accounting for up to 7% of the overall burden of disease among women, mostly due to its impact on mental ill health. It includes partner violence and violence perpetrated by other family members on adults, and may involve mutual violence or can involve coercive and controlling behaviours. Women are at greatest risk of serious physical and sexual assaults, including being victims of domestic homicide. There is growing evidence that men and women with mental disorders, particularly severe disorders, are at increased risk of being both victims and perpetrators of DVA. Despite barriers to disclosure, psychiatric services are well placed to identify and reduce the risk of future DVA and treat the mental health consequences.
... According to Jeff Hearn (1998), the intersections between men, masculinity and violence area unit supported many grounds. Firstly, men belong to the social class that's related to power, so men's violence is seen "as associate expression of the facility and management that men exert over ladies within the society" (Gondolf 2002). Secondly, being violent is socially accepted for men and is seen as an explicit method of being a boy and/or man. ...
Today women are playing a very important role in our society, they expect equality in all opportunities, treatment, respect and social rights, and to achieve this fully they started a movement of feminism. While Homosexuality is being practiced from very beginning in our society but still it is a taboo in our society. Same time it is being observed that the thought process, belief system and attitude of people towards various issues change with the time. Thus, present study aimed at comparing the attitude of millennials and post-millennials on a very major contemporary issue that is feminism and homosexuality. Sample size is 120 males (60 Millennials and 60 Post-Millennials). FEM Scale and Attitude Towards Homosexuality (AHQ) Scale had been administered on the participants. Significant difference had been found on both the variables.
... They describe first-generation methodology as concentrating on behavioral responses, with success defined as a reduction in violence measured by convictions or self-reports. Second generation used a more experimental design using interventions and a control condition or a multisite evaluation (e.g., Gondolf, 2002). Kelly and Westmarland addressed this by including case studies of DVPPs, longitudinal survey data with women, longitudinal interviews with men and women, plus data on DVPP impact on children and program integrity. ...
The 'what works' approach to evidence‐based practice has emphasized the need for systematic reviews and meta‐analyses to explore the effectiveness of correctional interventions. This chapter explores current approaches to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) perpetrator programmes and contrasts these with the empirical evidence in terms of treatment need and treatment efficacy. Recently, there have been a number of reviews commissioned to explore current domestic violence perpetrator provision in several areas of the world. There was little evidence of the need to recognize and accommodate the heterogeneity of perpetrators and their relationship dynamics, despite this responsivity being a key part of the Risk‐Needs‐Responsivity (RNR) principles. Due to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programmes generally being the treatment of choice for non‐IPV programmes, psychologists attempted to improve the efficacy of Duluth‐based group outcomes with the addition of CBT.
... Though few studies have examined the long-term effectiveness of BIPs, those that have suggest a need to examine outcomes beyond the first year after BIP participation. For example, Gondolf (2002) followed a sample of offenders referred to BIPs in three states over 4 years and found that recidivism rates increased over time from a little more than one third in the first 15 months from program assignment to nearly one half after 4 years. Klein and Tobin (2008) found that the average time to first new DV arrest was 769 days and the median was 434 days. ...
Objective: A novel acceptance and commitment therapy-based program (Achieving Change Through Values-Based Behavior [ACTV]) demonstrated preliminary feasibility and effectiveness in reducing repeat domestic violence. Previously, we examined 1-year recidivism rates in a sample of 3,474 men arrested for domestic assault and court mandated to either ACTV or Duluth/cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) from 2011 to 2013 (Zarling, Bannon, & Berta, 2019). The current study examined 5-year reoffending for this same sample. Method: Criminal justice data were obtained, including incidence and frequency of new criminal charges (any charges, violent charges, and domestic violence charges) for the full sample as well as only treatment completers. Survival analyses were conducted to estimate time to reoffense. Results: The results were largely consistent with the 1-year outcomes, with ACTV participants less likely to acquire any violent charges or domestic violence charges. However, the groups did not differ in terms of general criminal charges at the 5-year mark for the full sample. Also, there were differences in the “survival time” between groups, such that Duluth/CBT participants acquired new charges faster than ACTV participants. Conclusion: ACTV appears to maintain its effect over 5 years postintervention. Recidivism rates for both ACTV and Duluth/CBT in terms of any charges are higher compared with violent charges and could indicate a need for batterers’ intervention programs to address criminogenic needs. Implications for intervention are discussed.
... Relatedly, the perspective of the female partner is an important consideration when evaluating intimate partner violence prevention initiatives. However, gaining access to partners is often a challenge in the evaluation of perpetrator-targeted domestic violence programs due to concerns of infringing on their privacy, jeopardizing their safety, and partners not wanting to 'rat out' their spouses (e.g., Gondolf 2002;Laing 2003). Future evaluations should consider strategies to encourage and facilitate partner participation without intrusions on their privacy or compromising their safety. ...
There exists ongoing debate regarding appropriate therapeutic approaches, practices, and techniques for interventions targeted toward male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study describes and presents pilot evaluation data from two IPV intervention programs implemented in British Columbia, Canada which use different approaches to IPV intervention: Help Yourself to Healthy Relationships (HYHR; a feminist/trauma-informed program), and Managing Stress and Personal Relationships (MSPR; a cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT)-oriented anger/stress management program). This pilot comparative evaluation examines quantitative outcomes focused on self-reported changes in participant psychological and physical abuse toward their intimate partners, and a series of questions assessing feedback about the program content, lessons learned, and overall satisfaction. Findings from the evaluation suggest that MSPR was more effective at reducing rates of psychological violence than was HYHR. In addition, regardless of which program they participated in, participants discussed the importance of learning how to understand, manage, and regulate their emotions. Limitations of the current study and implications for the development and improvement of future IPV intervention programs are discussed.
... Referral to psychotherapy treatment, family therapy or mediation can (completely) ignore the violence, or treat it as an incidental manifestation of a covert disorder (the victim receives a mental instability label, which confirms what the perpetrator says to her: "You are crazy", "The children will be taken away from you"), and it harbours a number of risks (Päivinen & Holma, 2017;Stanley & Humphreys, 2017). Moreover, psychological programs for perpetrators of violence may also show insufficient concern for women's safety, and examinations of their effects have shown controversial results (Gondolf, 2002). These actions "shift" the intervention from legal to psychological, from the public to the private sphere, which does not take into account the imbalance of power and the victim's limited capacity to represent herself effectively, or potentially jeopardize the victim's safety and decision-making in her own best interest (Eriksson & Hester, 2001). ...
Although there are tendencies to portray women in partner relationships as physically equally aggressive as men, initiating violence, revenge, and using deadly force almost as much as men, men’s violence against women is more pernicious, characterized by more severe and frequent acts of greater range, manifestations, and with more severe consequences. It is therefore unjustified to speak of gender symmetry, and present this type of violence in gender-neutral terms. This paper provides an overview of the most important features of the observed phenomenon, focusing on psychological violence, which plays a key role in “breaking the resistance”, and in providing a “voluntary sacrifice”, i.e., coercive control, structural in nature and extending to all aspects of a woman’s life. Paradoxically, leaving a violent partner is a risk factor for violence and is considered to be potentially more dangerous than staying in a relationship. In the literature, help seeking and coping strategies used by women who have experienced violence are conceptualized in various ways, and research confirms that they depend on the features of violence and the resources available. It is shown that the crucial precondition for women who want to break out of the circle of violence and begin a new life is a fact that professionals understand the gender nature of violence, that effective social control of violent behaviour is established, that women are lent support through specialized independent programs over a longer period, which should be multidimensional and well synchronized, so as to include women, and take into account their needs, reinforcing their sense of security and space for action.
Purpose
Collaboration between domestic and family violence (DFV) and substance use sectors can enhance client outcomes, however, it also presents challenges. This study identified areas of inquiry, which created collaborative flows and bottlenecks between domestic violence and substance use professionals.
Methods
Adopting a system’s approach to action research, an Australian Policy Stakeholder Group was formed. Over a two-year period, senior policy workers, practitioners, and managers convened to identify ways to reduce sectoral silos. The authors analyzed themes contributing to collaborative flows and bottlenecks. Metaphor analysis was also used to reveal the implicit assumptions participants held about these themes.
Results
Three themes facilitated collaborative flow: increasing consensus that the relationship between substance use and DFV is complex; integrating substance use content into supportive interventions for victim-survivors; and the concept of substance use coercion. These facilitated open negotiations of contested worldviews among participants. Three themes led to collaborative bottlenecks: short-term funding cycles; the (de) gendering of DFV; and disputed notions of accountability for people who use violence. Metaphor analysis revealed that collaborative bottlenecks were conceived as contentious terrain, causing apprehension amongst participants.
Conclusions
Collaborative flows and bottlenecks between DFV and substance use sectors evolve over time. Professionals navigating them must be cognizant of context that influences collaborative dynamics, which can enhance the support provided to families affected by DFV and substance use.
The case of domestic violence involving a husband in Central Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi province, who committed an acid attack on his wife, is an incident that reflects the urgency of law enforcement and protection for victims of violence. This research aims to evaluate the legal aspects and social impact of these acts of violence and highlight the protective measures available to victims. This case not only had deep physical and psychological effects on the victim but also challenged the effectiveness of the justice system in handling similar cases. By examining how Indonesian law addresses gender-based violence, as well as assessing the implementation of victim protection policies, this research provides insight into how law enforcement can be improved to prevent and respond to domestic violence more effectively. In addition, this study also identifies an urgent need for reform in victim support and protection systems to make them more responsive to situations of violence. It is expected that the findings from this research can become a reference for policymakers and related institutions in designing better strategies to protect victims and reduce incidents of domestic violence in the future.
Collaboration between services addressing domestic violence and substance use presents scope for enhancement. This study presents the first stage of an Australian action research project that aimed to investigate cross-sector collaboration between domestic violence and substance use services. The study employed purposive sampling for data collection, with the primary author conducting semistructured interviews with 26 senior policy workers, practitioners, and managers about their previous experiences in promoting collaboration between these two sectors. Employing metaphor analysis as a heuristic tool, the authors identified the metaphorical concepts that interviewees used to frame their understanding of cross-sector collaboration. These metaphorical concepts reveal the diverse approaches to conceptualizing and implementing cross-sector collaboration. Collaboration was understood by participants as engaging with geopolitics, fixing infrastructure, running a business, and playing a game. Each metaphorical concept has implications for how professionals understand and perform cross-sector collaboration. The predominant language of cross-sectoral collaboration illuminates the discursive field in which policymakers and senior managers are situated. Certain metaphorical concepts hindered participants’ capacity to engage and sustain collaborative practice, while others held potential to promote collaboration. Researchers identified potential opportunities to promote collaborative practices between substance use and domestic violence sectors. By gaining insight into how professionals conceptualized cross-sector collaboration, leverage points were identified that supported the development of a policy stakeholder group working to address systemic issues of cross-sectoral practice.
Many responses to intimate partner violence (IPV), especially work to engage those who have caused harm through IPV, have remained relatively unchanged over the past few decades despite the widespread, long-lasting, and devastating impact IPV continues to have on communities. Engaging people who cause harm is a crucial part of supporting survivors, fostering healthy relationships and communities, and ending violence. In response to a need to develop more effective programming, New York City implemented a comprehensive citywide approach to people who cause harm, developing multiple programming options for people who cause harm both within and outside of the criminal legal system. This practice note outlines these programs and proposes several practice implications for the field.
Intervention with fathers who commit family violence is an essential but often overlooked part of effective family court proceedings. This article provides an overview of how evidence‐informed engagement with fathers around family violence can complement family court efforts to achieve safe and healthy outcomes for children. The focus on fathers is not based on bias against fathers, men, or masculinity, but rather it is consistent with the fact that fathers comprise a substantial proportion of those who use family violence. These men need more effective engagement and interventions. Fathers in these circumstances need to be engaged in services that can assess, monitor, and manage ongoing family violence and risk as well as develop skills to form more positive, healthy relationships with their children and children's mothers. Courts, in turn, need to consider evidence of accountability and change. Application and continued development of the strategies recommended herein would enhance the safety of mothers who experience violence, their children, and the well‐being of fathers who have used family violence. Collaboration with community partners serving families must become cornerstones in promoting the safety for and with all family members.
The Holzworth-Munroe & Stuart batterer typology plays a central role in the work with perpetrators. Empirical studies and practical experience show that for perpetra- tors of the borderline/dysphoric subtype, a cognitive-be- havioral orientation of previous perpetrator programs is only of limited effectiveness. The procedure in the work with perpetrators and the treatment focus in perpetrator programs must be modified and expanded for an ade- quate treatment of violence of this type. In this regard, the group setting must be designed in a process-based, psychodynamic and trauma-sensitive manner. In additi- on, a more differentiated diagnosis and risk assessment according to the type of offender must be carried out.
Keywords:
domestic violence, batterer typology, cognitive-behavio- ral treatment for batterers, perpetrator work, borderline/ dysphoric type, responsivity principle
This chapter reviews behavioral interventions for addressing two forms of family violence, child maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV). Most interventions to address child maltreatment focus on parents, with either a behavioral orientation used to teach parenting skills, or an attachment-based orientation with a focus on improving parental sensitivity and responding to the child. Data supporting parenting programs ability to impact child maltreatment have been equivocal with meta-analyses showing small effects, and behavioral programs appearing to fare better when individual programs are examined. Programs such as SafeCare, Triple P, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy have been found in clinical trials to reduce maltreatment. Effective interventions to address partner violence have proven even more elusive. Group-based intervention conducted in the community with either a feminist or cognitive behavioral intervention has shown very little impact on violence recidivism. More recent approaches to addressing IPV that address perpetrator motives or underlying psychological states have shown some promise though data are still emerging. Finally, dyadic approaches have also shown some promise but must be implemented with care so as not to place the victim in danger. More research is needed for both effective intervention for both child maltreatment and IPV.KeywordsChild maltreatmentIntimate partner violenceInterventionPreventionEffectiveness
Purpose
Substance use plays a significant role in the perpetration of much intimate partner violence (IPV). However, responses to these two issues are rarely integrated. Single focus programme responses can lead to poor outcomes for men as well as their families experiencing these intersecting issues. This scoping paper aims to establish the current state of knowledge on contextual factors influencing the development and implementation of combined programmes.
Design/methodology/approach
Four electronic databases were systematically searched in May 2021 and December 2021. Twenty-one peer-reviewed studies reporting on ten programmes were included.
Findings
This scoping review revealed that combined programme responses are an underdeveloped area of research and evaluation. The limited evidence base indicated systemic barriers hindering services’ capacity to expand this field of work, affecting implementation and outcomes. Support is required from the wider service systems to intervene in men’s perpetration of IPV in the context of substance use.
Practical implications
Findings in this scoping review demonstrate the importance of fostering a coordinated and collective response to IPV in the context of substance use. Combined programmes have the potential to reduce siloed practices, enabling more holistic responses for men with intersecting issues. However, researchers and policymakers must also address contextual issues hindering or enabling combined programmes’ implementation and development.
Originality/value
Mapping the evidence based on combined programmes provides direction for further development and research to expand this field of inquiry.
A strength‐based perspective to reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) with men has historically been anathema to the field of practice. This chapter begins with a rationale for changing the traditional treatment approach to a strengths‐based paradigm by summarizing gaps in the existing evidence. This is followed by an overview of the strengths perspective and the application of the strengths perspective to IPV. Batter Intervention Programs are usually led by trained group facilitators who assist, direct, and challenge a group of men toward full accountability to stop abusive and controlling behavior. The chapter concludes with a summary of the application of solution‐focused practice and narrative therapy and their role with men in group treatment for violence against partners. Solution‐building and narrative therapy provide unique methods to help men be more engaged and proactive to end all violence against intimate partners.
Evaluative studies of men who have attended domestic violence perpetrator programmes have, thus far, paid attention to the question of what they are expected to desist from. This is entirely appropriate. However, the question of what they are expected to achieve, or ‘become’, is less clearly articulated, indeed often overlooked. Based on a series of interviews with men who had completed perpetrator programmes, the narratives explored in this articles suggest that their abusive behaviour was underpinned by fears about how to ‘perform masculinity’ satisfactorily in the past. Consequentially, the programme experience was perceived as threatening or as ‘feminising’. However, the accounts of these men suggest that in desisting from abusive behaviour, issues of identity and processes of behaviour change remain profoundly gendered. Indeed, committing to desistance is perceived as something of an ‘heroic struggle’ in which qualities associated with being a ‘proper man’ are harnessed and utilised in the process.
Restorative justice programs, including surrogate impact panels, are increasingly used to address intimate partner violence (IPV) but research has not assessed adequately how panels may affect participating abusive partners. This article reports the perceived impacts of surrogate impact panels on justice-involved individuals (JIIs) who attended a panel as part of their batterer intervention programs (BIPs) using surveys of JIIs ( N = 289) and focus groups or interviews with panelist speakers, JIIs, and BIP providers. Findings suggest that JIIs can connect with speakers, reach new understandings of IPV, and express emotional impact/intent to change. The findings can inform decisions to use panels as part of IPV interventions.
Batterer intervention programs (BIPs) continue to be the primary mode of intervention for male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). The extent, however, to which BIPs are effective remains unclear. In particular, studies are needed that can provide detailed information on how accountability is promoted during the BIP process, and if clients leave a BIP with a clear sense of what it means to be responsible for their behaviors. The present study seeks to expand our knowledge of accountability as it is understood in the BIP context through an exploration of clients’ written reflections on their experiences with such a program. A random sample of 555 exit letters were collected from a participating BIP in 2015 and analyzed to understand clients’ perceptions on accountability. A three-coder iterative approach to analysis, focusing on content and global coding of broad thematic and subthematic categories was used. Our findings show that many clients admitted to the use of some type of abusive behavior as the precipitating factor for their involvement in the BIP, and that additionally, they generally recognized the need to be responsible for their behaviors and the consequences associated with their abuse. However, we also found that an increased emphasis on accountability in BIPs may be warranted. In particular, more research is needed to explore how BIPs promote accountability among their clients, and how individuals who complete a BIP understand and interpret their role in perpetrating abuse.
Empirical literature on strategies to effectively recruit participants for research is sparse, especially within the domestic violence domain. Evaluating recruitment methodology alongside researcher effort, time, and costs provides realistic guidelines for research planning. This study examined recruitment of fathers with and without a history of domestic violence perpetration into longitudinal research. Data were collected on 196 fathers we attempted to recruit for Time 1 assessment and 151 fathers we attempted to retain for Time 2 assessment over an eight-month timeframe. Results indicated that domestically violent fathers required similar efforts to recruit initially but required more effort for follow-up and that recruitment for father-child and mother assessments with this group was particularly challenging. Tests of two specific recruitment strategies demonstrate advantages of in-person and immediate scheduling of research appointments. Descriptive information is provided on the time and resources required for recruiting high-risk fathers into research and recommendations for conducting future research with this population are provided.
Rapid access to accurate risk assessment information is essential for effective police responses to family violence (FV) calls for service. This study describes the predictive validity of the Dynamic Risk Assessment for family violence (DYRA) and Static Assessment of Family Violence Recidivism (SAFVR), currently in use by the New Zealand Police. We used 1,817 police reports of FV episodes to predict recurrence (i.e., repeat call for police service) over three follow-up periods. Regardless of follow-up, the DYRA and SAFVR each displayed poor ability to discriminate between episodes with and without a recurrence. Both instruments substantially over-predicted recurrence, and performed relatively consistently across subsamples (e.g., intimate partners vs. other family relationship; aggressor gender, ethnicity, age). The especially poor performance of the DYRA suggests further research on dynamic risk factors and their contribution to police responses for FV is needed to make these instruments more useful for agencies working with families.
Specialised domestic violence (DV) courts exist in a number of common law countries. While site-specific evaluations show promise, there remains much dissimilarity to the processes and components of these courts that raise questions about cross-national comparison. This article discusses a project to reduce data variation by applying a standardised data grid in court sites in three different countries. Part of a larger research programme of the Canadian Observatory on Justice Responses to Intimate Partner Violence, the pilot shows that, with site-specific adaptions, a standardised grid can reduce variation and is feasible as a data-collection instrument. However, the pilot also reveals how the shared objectives of specialised DV courts across countries are undermined by the absence of core data especially that related to victims. Further, standardised cross-national court data collection can unhelpfully minimise differences in local legal and social cultures that are important to justice system priority-setting.
This paper provides a critical examination of how digital systems within a charitable organisation in the North of England are being used to both support and challenge male perpetrators of domestic violence. While there exists a range of digital tools to support the victim-survivors of domestic violence, no tools are available to challenge the abusive and harmful behaviours of perpetrators. Through this work, we uncovered the compelling moral responsibilities intrinsic within interactions with technological systems between perpetrators and support workers. As such, we highlight four spaces of negotiation concerning a person’s responsibility in changing their abusive behaviour, which we have coined as mechanisms to represent their fundamental and interconnected nature. These mechanisms include self-awareness, acknowledging the extent of harms, providing peer support and respecting authorities. These insights are the basis for offering some practical considerations for HCI scholars, policymakers and intervention designers in their work with perpetrators of violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) continues to be an urgent social problem, despite decades of intervention and prevention efforts. Restorative justice programs (e.g., victim impact panels) may be a useful addition to intimate partner violence (IPV) intervention, but it is unclear how these panels operate and to what extent they are consistent with restorative justice models. This naturalistic study of IPV surrogate impact panels used ethnographic observation of panels (n = 18), archival analysis of audience responses to the panel (N = 287), and focus groups and interviews (k = 4) with IPV survivors, an audience member, and batterer intervention providers to investigate these gaps. Findings suggest the panels manifest interactional processes consistent with restorative justice principles. Implications, limitations, and future aims of research on these panels are discussed.
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