1. Lessons Learned - the Domestic Violence Intervention Project
Chris Newman, DVIP

2. Why work with abusers?
punishment alone is not enough to deter perpetrators from re-offending
most domestic violence offences are not reported
psychological and emotional abuse are difficult to punish in law
many women stay with, return to or continue to have contact with violent and abusive partners
men who abuse are likely to go on to abuse other women, even if they serve a prison sentence for domestic violence
some men want to change
It involves men working to end violence against women
Anecdotal stuff here about men lyingetc

3. failing to protect - focus Father often invisible
Life on three planets
Child protection:
(public law);
Child as victim
mother seen as
failing to protect - focus
on changing her
Father often invisible
Domestic violence:
(civil and criminal law);
Focus on offence and
offender
and changing him;
Woman as victim;
Child invisible
Child contact:
(private law);
Mother’s resistance
considered hostile;
Presumption of
Contact; father
as victim (?)

4. Implications for developing effective interventions for perpetrators?
If ‘the system matters’ as Gondolf tells us, then in each of these arenas a perpetrator programme will need to be tied into the system in a different way if it is to:
Increase victims safety
help to hold abusers accountable
meet the needs of the other agencies which are working to ensure the victims safety. 

5. The Domestic Violence Intervention Project
Self-referred clients
Perpetrator
services
Assessment
32 session structured group
programme
ongoing follow up group
Victim support services
Individual work
Structured workshops
Support groups
Safety planning

6. Advantages of an independent sector project
Independent of both courts and probation. So could argue for consequences for non- participation
Men come to the programme from a range of routes - reduces resentment and sense of persecution by ‘the system’
Not driven by institutional targets. For instance ‘completion rates’
Ability to hold to a position of principle, avoiding government or institutional pressures
Ability to campaign for safe practice in the work
Small size of organisation means can respond to change quickly
And offer services at low cost compared to larger organisations.   

7. The Domestic Violence Intervention Project
London Probation Area
Self-referred
Perpetrator
services
Assessment
32 session structured group
programme
ongoing follow up group
Victim support services
Individual work
Structured workshops
Support groups
Safety planning
Programme for mothers in care proceedings

8. Hester and Radford Domestic violence and child contact Social Policy Research 100 June 1996
Many professionals in England interpreted the Children Act 1989 in a way which allowed contact with fathers to take precedence over child welfare.
Fathers commonly used contact with the children as a route to further abuse the mother. Domestic violence injunctions and policing practice in both countries gave women only limited protection from further abuse.

9. Hester and Radford study
Only 7 of the 53 mothers interviewed in England were able - eventually- to arrange contact which did not threaten their own safety and/or their children's well being.
Most mothers initially wanted children to see their fathers; contact arrangements broke down because of violence.
No evidence to support claims made by many of the professionals interviewed that contact broke down because mothers were 'hostile' to the idea of contact  

10. Hester and Radford 1996
Hester and Radford concluded that contact should not be presumed to be in the best interests of the child if there has been domestic violence to the mother

11. Experts report and guidelines to the court - 2000
“Domestic violence is a serious failure in parenting”
In deciding the issue of contact the court is asked to consider:
The history of domestic violence
The motivation for seeking contact
‘Victim empathy’, attitude to past violence and capacity to change
The effects of the domestic violence on the resident parent and children

12. The risk to the children if contact is ordered
The wishes and feelings of the child
Whether to make treatment for the abuser a condition of future contact or seek advice in assessing the risk of harm to the child
Whether or not conditions or non-molestation orders should be made and whether contact should be supervised

13. The Safe Contact Protocol
Protocols between the SCP agencies - CAFCASS, Supervised Contact Centres, DVIP, the Men’s Centre:
Agree a format for specialist risk assessment
prevent applicants seeking endless alternative expert reports in order to get a more favourable response (while allowing for a second opinion)
prevent applicants from finding alternative brief anger management or other inappropriate therapies to address their abusive behaviour
or from finding a contact centre which will take the case even when a CAFCASS reporter has advised that contact is not safe.
Workers from the partnership agencies meet regularly to share training and discuss cases and protocols.

14. Risk assessment for the family courts
Perpetrator services
Supervised
Contact
Assessment of:
Risk
Victim vulnerability
Child/ren
Social Services or
CAFCASS
Victim support services
Children’s services

15. Work with social services
Help shift the focus away from victims (usually mothers) to the actual source of risk – the abuser.
Enable early intervention with perpetrators, rather than waiting until concerns about the child rose to the point that court action had to be taken to protect the children.
Act as expert witness in care proceedings
Provide interventions with mothers involved in care proceedings

16. The Domestic Violence Intervention Project
London Probation Area
Self-referred
Perpetrator services
Assessment
32 session structured group
programme
ongoing follow up group
Victim support services
Individual work
Structured workshops
Support groups
Safety planning
Social Services
Children’s services
Supervised contact
Assessment
Therapeutic work
CAFCASS

17. Start with, and stick to, the principle that victim’s safety is paramount
Recognise that you need to adapt to a range of different environments - community activism, criminal justice, family courts, child protection, lobbying and campaigning
Establish clear principles for best practice in the work, and then work out how these can be put into practice within the different environments
Offer yourself as a specialist resource to larger agencies - helping managers and individual practitioners respond more effectively to DV.
make links with all those involved in struggle to end domestic violence. This will mean trying to understand their ethos, training and working practices

19. Objectives of the Violence Prevention Programme To help him to end his violence and abuse by:
widening the man’s definition of what constitutes violent and abusive behaviour.
Helping him to recognise the mental emotional and physiological signs of the build up to violence
to critically examine the beliefs that have led him to believe that violence and abuse towards women is justified.
to increase his understanding of the intentional nature of the violence and abuse he has used.
To increase his understanding of the effects of abusive behaviour on his ex-partner and child(ren).
help him develop alternative non-abusive ways of behaving and relating.

20. General Risk Factors Attitudes about the violence Circumstances
History of domestic violence – crossing a boundary once makes it easier to cross again
Attitudes about the violence
Circumstances
History of psychological disorders
Used severe violence, with injuries requiring medical treatment
Used strangulation
Used or threatened to use a weapon
Threatened to kill his partner
Was violent when she was pregnant
Used sexual violence, such as rape
Assaulted other family members, including children
Violence is becoming more frequent
Violence is becoming more severe
Severely blaming his partner
Severely minimising or denying the violence
Lacking remorse
Having traditional attitudes about male dominance
Lacking empathy for the victim
Fantasising about killing her or wreaking severe violence on her
Not recognising the risk
Having no motivation to change
Being unwilling to take part in a perpetrator programme
Currently has access to the partner
Partner is trying to leave or has recently left
Currently isolated from support systems
Step children in family
Psychotic disorders.
Note that psychotic persons who kill often have active symptoms such as command hallucinations Anti-social personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, a psychopathic personality or beliefs of persecution by others

21. General Risk Factors Current or recent life stresses Mental state
Other relevant behaviour
Severe abuse in the perpetrator’s family of origin
Unemployment
Homelessness
Bereavement
Poverty
Equivalent life stresses
A feeling that he has nothing to lose – the ‘fuck-it’ factor
High levels of anger and hostility
High levels of hostility to his partner in particular
Depression
Suicidal depression
Generally low mental functioning
Obsessive jealousy of his partner
Obsessive control of his partner
Obsessive thinking about his partner following separation
Current substance misuse – notably of alcohol or drugs (uppers) – especially where it has exacerbated the severity of the violence in the past
Generalised aggression, both inside and outside the home. This may not be present in cultures that show little tolerance for public violence
Recent or current suicide risk or threats of suicide

22. Interventions with domestic violence
Anger management?
Anger management’ suggests that the client has difficulty controlling anger.
But in DV:
Selectivity of victim
Selective level of severity
Instrumental, controlling nature of DV
Also implicit blame of victim “I just lose it when she winds me up, she pushes my buttons”.

23. Anger management: AM is usually a short-term skills-based intervention
But - need to address deep seated belief systems and/or emotional developmental legacies.
Therefore focus on the underlying emotion and cognitions at the time of an assault rather than solely focusing on control of the mislabelled anger.
“Outcome studies suggest that violence/ abuse elimination occurs from reconstructing clients’ entrenched belief systems and assumptions about masculinity and its perceived entitlements, and enhancing victim empathy and co-operative decision-making rather than from the management or control of anger.” (Healey et al 1998)

24. Couples work, mediation?
The victim is unlikely to feel free to speak freely
And if she does feel free, may be punished later with physical violence or other abuse for speaking out of turn

25. Elements of domestic violence perpetrator programmes
Increase awareness of physiological, mental and emotional signs of build up to violence.
Develop critical awareness of attitudes and beliefs that support use of violence.
Demystify use of violence – “I just lost it” vs intentional/functional behaviour
Increase empathy for victims
Increase awareness of effects of domestic violence upon children
Widen definition of abuse, set it in context of power and control
Teach and practice alternative behaviour.

26. Safety implications of perpetrator programmes for (ex)partners or referring agencies
They may lie about attendance and suspension
may use the programme material to criticise his partner’s behaviour
may lie about what happens in the group
may use attendance as a bargaining tool
attendance influences the decision- making behaviour of others….

27. Safety implications of perpetrator programmes for (ex)partners or referring agencies
and most importantly –
May create unrealistic expectations that the perpetrator will change.
Therefore referring agencies need detailed feedback on change in risk
So partners may stay in dangerous situation much too long
And agencies may assume risk is changing
Cf motivation to attend programme – to address behaviour, or to have the last word?

28. Partner support services
Give accurate information about the Violence Prevention Programme and assist victims in having realistic expectations   
Safety planning with victims and children who are in dangerous situations
Support them in identifying resources they could use to protect self and children
Offer emotional support and groupwork to facilitate personal and social understanding of the abuse

29. Assessing programme quality
See Guidelines from Respect ( The National Association for Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes and Associated Support Services)

30. The Primary or Predominant Aggressor? (or ‘primary perpetrator’)
The person who:
Uses the higher level of violence,
Has an established history of violence in the relationship,
Who represents the more serious ongoing threat of violence.
Look at:
the level of injury
the history of violence
Which party represents an ongoing threat (who is afraid of who)
(Guidance on investigating domestic violence produced for Association of Chief Police Officers in 2004)