Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence: Batterer Intervention Programs

Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence: Batterer Intervention Programs are defined by the CEBC as any program that intervenes with the abuser in a Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence situation. Over one million women in the United States are physically assaulted by their partner each year. Often, victims of domestic/intimate partner violence come to the attention of Child Welfare Services not as a victim, but as a parent who was not able to protect their child. Research from the Domestic Violence and Children: Analysis and Recommendations Study indicates that between 3.3 million and 10 million children in the United States are exposed to Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence each year. It is estimated that 70% of men who abuse their female partners also abuse their children. Children in homes where domestic violence occurs have a greater than 1500% higher risk of being seriously neglected and physically or sexually abused. For more information on this topic and how it relates to child welfare, please visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway's section on Domestic Violence: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/casework-practice/domestic-violence/?top=292.

• Target population: Men or women who have been abusive in a Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence situation
• Services/types that fit: Typically outpatient services, either individual or group
• Delivered by: Mental health professionals or trained paraprofessionals
• In order to be included: Program must specifically target abusive behavior as a goal
• In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines outcomes related to abusive behavior, such as changes in behaviors or reports of abuse

The Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence: Batterer Intervention Programs topic area is relevant to child welfare for multiple reasons. First, child welfare agencies recognize the complexity of the co-occurrence of domestic/intimate partner violence and child abuse. Second, children who witness domestic violence face significant risks, including behavioral, emotional, and physical health related challenges and experiencing other abuses in the home. Children who are exposed to domestic violence often present with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, anger, guilt, fear, and violence towards peers. According to the Impact of Domestic Violence on Children study, children as young as 5 have a tendency to lose respect for the victim and identify with the aggressor. Since it is understood that partner violence is a learned behavior and not the result of addiction, genetics, disease, or the fault of the victim; services for batterers are vital to ensure safety for women and children, reduce recidivism, teach responsible behavior, and to break the "legacy of violence and oppression" within familial relationships.

Deborah Reeves, MSW
Former CEBC Advisory Committee Member

The Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence: Batterer Intervention Programs topic area was added in 2007. Jeffrey L. Edleson, PhD was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date in 2007 (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC) or others loaded earlier and added to this topic area when it launched. The topic area has grown over the years and any programs added since 2007 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Edleson was not involved in identifying or rating them.