Batterers’ Intervention

 
Batterers’ intervention programs are psycho-educational, focusing on achieving the following objectives:

1. To assist the participant to understand that the purpose of battering is to establish and maintain control over the victim
 
2. To increase the participant’s willingness to change his actions by examining the negative effects of his behavior on himself, his partner, and his children.
 
3. To increase the participant’s understanding of the causes of his violence by examining the cultural and social contexts in which he uses violence against his partner.
 
4. To provide the participant with practical information on how to change his abusive behavior by exploring non-controlling and non-violent ways of relating to women.
 
5. To hold the participant accountable for his actions.
(Power & Control:Tactics of Men who Batter. Ellen Pence and Michael Paymer)

Most participants attend batterers’ intervention because they have been court ordered to do so and admit that they would not attend voluntarily. Sometimes individuals will attend to convince their partners to return home or not to leave them. It is important for victims to ask the court to order batterers’ intervention for the abuser so that they are given an opportunity to change. However, while a batterers’ intervention program can be an effective means for change to occur, attendance at a program never guarantees that violence will end.

Many times, a perpetrator may ask the victim to participate in couples’ counseling, instead of him attending batterers’ intervention, to convince her that she has caused him to batter her in some manner. It is important for victims to remember that the cause of violence rests solely on the perpetrator and that he needs to understand and accept this before couples’ counseling for any other issues should occur.

Self-Assessment

 
Authored by Paula Basil LMHC
CEO, A No Abuse Batterers’ Intervention Program, located in Orange Co, Fl.

For more information please visit our web site at: www.anoabuse.com