Domestic Abuse Perpetrators Who are they? Sue Pearce Assistant Director - Interventions 28 th November 2006

Community Domestic Violence Programme Accredited through CSAP As system with closed groupwork 4 aspects –Multi-agency risk assessment and risk management –Contact with known victims –Pro-active offender management –Gender based cognitive behavioural groupwork

Who are these offenders? Some characteristics that many studied perpetrators share –Male; youth ( Moffit 1997) ; –authoritarian (Hastings 1997) ; –depressed ( Pan et al.) –and unlikely to verbalise emotions (Yelsma1996); –tend to blame violence on external factors and minimise seriousness ( Stamp and Sabourin 1995) No single profile that completely and reliably distinguishes Characterisation by risk Characterisation by psychological/ behavioural characteristics

Who are these offenders?  By typology Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart 1994 –Family only 50% ;dysphoric/borderline; generally violent/antisocial Dutton and Golant 1995 –Emotionally volatile/psychopathic/over controlling

HORF 217 Domestic Violence Offenders as a heterogeneous group Witnessing domestic violence in childhood Disrupted attachment patterns High levels of interpersonal dependency and jealousy Attitudes condoning domestic violence Lack of empathy

Who are these offenders (2) HORF 217 –Alcohol as a feature 62% /dependant 48% –2 main types Borderline/emotionally dependent had high levels of jealousy, high levels of anger, low self esteem Antisocial /narcissistic had hostile attitudes towards women, low empathy, highest alcohol dependence  By risk of harm

Subtypes of offender Antisocial/ narcissistic – antisocial – 47% Tendency to engage in antisocial behaviour Drug and alcohol dependence Endorse macho attitudes Difficulties with empathy Likely to have previous convictions (range of offences)

Antisocial/ narcissistic- narcissistic-13% Tendency to be paranoid and narcissistic Tend not to endorse macho attitudes tendency to respond in socially desirable manner Dismissive attachment style

Antisocial/narcissistic - low pathology – 12% Narcissistic Moderate macho attitudes Respond in Socially desirable manner Do not express high levels of anger Tend not to engage in ideas of suicide Not likely to report childhood abuse

Borderline/emotionally dependent – 28% Highly interpersonally dependent High levels of anger Depression/anxiety Low self esteem Likely to blame others for their circumstances Likely to have experienced physical and sexual abuse in childhood Fearful attachment style and engage in suicidal thoughts

Types of Behaviour Reported by Partners Economic abuse Emotional abuse Male privilege Isolation Coercion and threats Minimising Intimidation Using children

Nested Ecological Model (Dutton 1995) Macro-system –wider cultural attitudes and beliefs Exo-system –influence of local social structures Micro-system –Immediate environment Ontogenetic –Individual level developmental history/experience of victimisation/mental health

Indicators of success What is success? –Reoffending –Repeat incidents –Victim feedback –psychometrics Integrated Programme West Yorkshire results Canadian results

When is a programme not a programme? When it’s a system