According to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Advocates for Human Rights, treatment for spousal abuse, or batterer intervention, is often a process that is court-ordered by judges in domestic violence cases. An abuser or batterer may also elect to attend a treatment program voluntarily. Treatment for domestic violence or spousal abuse place strong emphasis on the safety of victims and accountability, education and rehabilitation of the abuser.
History of Abuse Programs
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, batterer intervention programs for domestic violence offenders first developed in the United States in the 1980s. These programs were designed because many perpetrators of spousal abuse were being sentenced to jail, and some victims indicated that, while they did want the partners to stop all abuse, they did not want a partner incarcerated. This led directly to the development of the first treatment programs specifically designed for perpetrators of domestic violence.
Function
According to the Department of Justice, batterer intervention programs aim to provide psychological treatment and education to help modify an abuser's violent and controlling behavior toward a partner. These programs also help monitor the abuser's behavior through progress reports, and in doing so, provide accountability that may help keep potential victims safe from further abuse.
Types of Abuse Programs
A 2008 report from the Advocates for Human Rights outlines a variety of batterer intervention programs. This report notes that Emerge, the first abuser education program in the United States, uses education, cognitive-behavioral therapy and group therapy sessions to work toward ending abusive behaviors. The program has rules regarding attendance, and has direct contact with the victims or victims' advocates to monitor safety and client progress in the domestic setting. The key difference among many of the programs outlined in this study revolves around whether enrollment is court-ordered or the program accepts voluntary enrollment. Most programs have rigorous guidelines about checking for continued abuse and victim safety. The Advocates for Human Rights notes, however, that the New York Model of Batterer Programs does not place a focus on victim safety or advocacy, but rather on domestic violence as an issue with the perpetrator. This model, unlike others, operates on the premise that the court cannot compel perpetrators to stop abusive behavior and advocates for the courts to use the "most serious penalty available at the earliest possible moment" to address domestic violence.
Time Frame
According to the Department of Justice, batterer intervention programs are designed to last an average of 26 weeks. The length of treatment can, of course, vary depending on client progress and issues of re-offense, in which case clients may face jail sentences. A list of best practices developed by the Advocates for Human Rights suggests that intervention and treatment programs should be designed to meet more frequently, with more intense content during the first several weeks in order to better educate and monitor abusers who may be at risk to re-offend.
Expert Insight
According to a 2008 summary of batterer intervention programs from the Advocates for Human Rights, the effectiveness of treatment is highest when there is a coordinated response from community agencies such as police, probation, courts and victim advocate groups. Treatment programs have a "modest but positive" effect on the prevention of further abuse. In addition, the organization found that programs are most successful when they can address specific cultural issues that may influence participants, rather than creating treatment programs that assume that all abusers have similar cultural values.
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