lessons learned - the domestic violence intervention project chris newman, dvip
TRANSCRIPT
Lessons Learned - the Domestic Violence Intervention Project
Chris Newman, DVIP
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
Life on three planets
Domestic violence: (civil and criminal law);Focus on offence and
offender and changing him;Woman as victim;
Child invisible
Child protection: (public law);
Child as victimmother seen as
failing to protect - focus on changing her
Father often invisible
Child contact:(private law);
Mother’s resistance considered hostile;
Presumption of Contact; father
as victim (?)
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.
The Domestic Violence Intervention Project
Perpetrator services
Assessment
32 session structured group
programme
ongoing follow up group
Victim support services
Individual work
Structured workshops
Support groups
Safety planning
Self-referred clients
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.
The Domestic Violence Intervention Project
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
London Probation Area
Self-referred
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.
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
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
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
• 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
The Safe Contact ProtocolProtocols between the SCP agencies - CAFCASS,
Supervised Contact Centres, DVIP, the Men’s Centre:
1. Agree a format for specialist risk assessment
2. prevent applicants seeking endless alternative expert reports in order to get a more favourable response (while allowing for a second opinion)
3. prevent applicants from finding alternative brief anger management or other inappropriate
therapies to address their abusive behaviour
4. or from finding a contact centre which will take the case even when a CAFCASS reporter has
advised that contact is not safe.
5. Workers from the partnership agencies meet regularly to share training and discuss cases and
protocols.
Risk assessment for the family courts
SupervisedContactSocial
Services or
CAFCASS
Assessment of: • RiskVictim vulnerabilityChild/ren
Perpetrator services
Children’s services
Victim support services
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
The Domestic Violence Intervention Project
Perpetrator services
Assessment
32 session structured group programme
ongoing follow up group
Victim support services
Individual work
Structured workshops
Support groups
Safety planning
Children’s services
Supervised contact
Assessment
Therapeutic work
London Probation Area
Self-referred
CAFCASS
Social Services
• 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
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.
General Risk FactorsHistory 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
General Risk FactorsCurrent 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
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”.
Anger management:AM is usually a short-term skills-based interventionBut - 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)
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
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.
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….
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
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
Assessing programme quality
See Guidelines from Respect ( The National Association for Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes and
Associated Support Services)
www.respect.uk.net
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)