ABSTRACT
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health issue that ravages the lives of millions in the United States each year.[i] There is a growing scientific consensus that the three foundational models of Batterer Intervention Programs used to rehabilitate IPV perpetrators throughout the United States – the psychoeducational model, “The Duluth Model,” and the cognitive-behavioral model - do not have a measurable impact on IPV recidivism rates.[ii] [iii] [iv] Furthermore, none of the aforementioned models address systemic inequality within the criminal justice system, which disproportionately mandates Black batterers to attend BIP programs.[v] Given the association between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and likelihood of intimate partner violence in adulthood and success of trauma-informed rehabilitative programs for substance users, sex offenders, and other community-based groups, this project proposes the development of the nation’s first culturally competent, trauma-informed BIP program.[vi] [vii] In doing so, this project will support perpetrators of IPV through healing their own trauma and through taking accountability for the traumas they have caused others in an effort to prevent future violence.
STATEMENT OF NEED
The Centers for Disease Control defines intimate partner violence (IPV) as physical, sexual, psychological harm by a current partner, former partner, or spouse, including but not limited to physical violence, sexual violence, and psychological and emotional violence.[viii] IPV is a pervasive public health issue that impacts one in four women and one in seven men in their lifetime.[ix] Three in five bisexual women and two in five bisexual men report experiencing IPV in their lifetime.[x] In one study, more than one of every two trans people surveyed reported having experienced some form of IPV.[xi]
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), like IPV, occur across racial, socio-economic, cultural, and other backgrounds and identities.[xii] ACEs are traumatic events that take place during childhood, including but not limited to violence, abuse, and growing up in a household impacted by mental health problems or substance abuse.[xiii] In 2010, a survey of ten states and the District of Columbia found that nearly 60% of residents had experienced one ACE, and that more than 14% had experienced four or more ACEs.[xiv] Not only is intimate partner violence an ACE, but having experienced intimate partner violence or other ACEs as a child is associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing intimate partner violence as an adult.[xv]
Current means of responding to intimate partner violence are rooted within the criminal justice system and take the form of court-mandated rehabilitation programs called “batterer intervention programs” or “BIPs.” There are currently three major models of BIP in the United States: 1) psycho-educational BIPs, 2) The Duluth Model (which incorporates a feminist analysis of IPV in a psycho-educational model), and 3) cognitive-behavioral BIPS.[xvi] Despite decades of research and debate on the issue, there has been no clear scientific evidence that any of the major rehabilitative frameworks reduces batterer recidivism.[xvii] Furthermore, none of the predominantly used BIPs address the fact that the criminal justice system perpetuates systemic inequality and oppression through disproportionately mandating men of color to attend BIPs.[xviii]
Despite the correlation between intimate partner violence and ACEs and between ACEs and systemic inequality, trauma-informed approaches have not been applied within the field of BIPs. For this project, I propose the development, implementation, and evaluation of the first culturally competent, trauma-informed BIP program following in the footsteps of trauma-informed rehabilitative programs for substance users, sex offenders, and other community-based groups. [xix] [xx] [xxi] For the purposes of this grant application, the culturally competent, trauma-informed BIP program outlined herein has been given the title, “The Revisions Project.”
PROJECT GOALS
The primary goal of The Revisions Project is to support accountability processes for abusive partners by providing new, innovative pathways for IPV perpetrators to identify and address the root causes of violence within and without. The secondary goal The Revisions Project is to capture and analyze data regarding the recidivism rates of participants who do and do not complete courses. Particular attention will be given to local area demographics, the demographics composition of mandated and voluntary attendees, and the composition of those who complete the courses and those who do not. Given its five locations, attendees of The Men’s Resource Center for Change will present a varied set of distinct data to track. Recidivism will be tracked through self-reporting and the cooperation of local law enforcement agencies. Data gathered will be compared with existing data in BIP literature regarding rates of attendance and recidivism.
PUBLIC HEALTH FRAMEWORK
Intimate partner violence is a pervasive but preventable public health issue.[xxxii] The proposed culturally competent, trauma informed BIP program has been designed using a public health approach in the understanding that, like other public health issues, IPV does not occur in a vacuum but can be prevented, reduced, and treated. Following the public health approach, The Revisions Project reflects an analysis that there is a critical need for secondary and tertiary responses to IPV when it comes to rehabilitating perpetrators of violence to prevent IPV recidivism.
The Revisions Project consequently engages predominantly in secondary and tertiary prevention of IPV through providing trauma-informed rehabilitation programs to at-risk and active IPV abusers in the form of individual counseling, group counseling, peer mentorship, and other opportunities. Primary IPV prevention efforts—e.g. outreach efforts in local communities--will largely be driven by interest and engagement from participants in tertiary support services. By providing direct, trauma-informed services and an array of ongoing resources and support, The Revisions Project anticipates not only that IPV recidivism rates will be lowered among participants but future IPV is prevented entirely.
LEVEL(S) OF THE SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL MODEL
The Revisions Project primarily targets the first three levels of the Center for Disease Control’s social ecological model: the individual, relationship, and community levels.[xxxiii] At the individual level, The Revisions Project will build resiliency by providing individuals with education around the dynamics of abuse, accessible and accountability processes, and skill-building to foster healthy, respectful, non-violent relationships. The Revisions Project will also offer free resources to assess individual trauma backgrounds and provide counseling as a means of processing issues that stand in the way of rehabilitation.
At the relationship level, The Revisions Project will provide opportunities for abusive partners to practice respectful, nonviolent communication and relationship-building with counselors, in groups, with peer mentors, and beyond. Participants will be engaged in numerous transparent relationships to promote accountability, including but not limited to counselor oversight, case management, and peer mentorship.
At the community and societal levels, participants will be provided a framework identifying IPV as one manifestation among many forms of social and systemic violence that may be present in their own lives, the lives of their family members, in their communities, and in society, as well as resources for participants to end violence across these paradigms. Opportunities will be made available to graduates to offer violence prevention and to share experiential learning as peer mentors. Graduates will also be given tools to organize community accountability teams to prevent and respond to violence.
The underlying issues that shaped The Revisions Project’s development and design—namely the ineffectiveness of existing BIPs in reducing recidivism and addressing systemic racism--are situated at the societal level of the social-ecological model.[xxxiv] The possible ramifications of The Revisions Project’s success would likewise extend effect substantive change at the societal level, especially if this model is implemented widely nationally and internationally.
TRAUMA INFORMED PRINCIPLES YOUR GRANT WILL UTILIZE
In addition to taking a trauma-informed approach with BIP participants, The Revisions Project has been designed to incorporate the principles of a trauma-informed framework across all levels of the program.[xxxv] [xxxvi] The principles of a trauma-informed framework are specifically: safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support and mutual self-help; collaboration and mutuality; empowerment, voice and choice; and cultural, historical, and gender roles.[xxxvii] [xxxviii]
During intakes, licensed mental health counselors will help new attendees feel a sense of safety, voice, and choice in the program by providing each participant with an individualized and ongoing treatment plan, as well as unique resources and support based upon their needs. Physical safety will be enhanced for employees through ensuring all have access to a safe workplace. The Revisions Project participants will be provided with safe spaces to engage in the program comfortably. Additionally, employees will be supported in the workplace by ensuring ease of access to communication networks and offering ongoing feedback and support. Both staff and program participants will be made aware of how to make grievances to enhance transparency.[xxxix] Group programming incorporated into The Revisions Project’s design are rooted in principles of peer support, mutual self-help, and collaboration and mutuality. The Revisions Project embraces cultural competency as the core of its curriculum, and is dedicated to principles of justice, equality, and representation at all levels.
Working from a trauma-informed framework is critical given the pervasiveness of ACEs and trauma in the United States. Additionally, it is important that a trauma-informed frameworks be integrated across the program because employment and other opportunities will intentionally be made available to individuals with trauma backgrounds for the benefit of the program and participants. By following a trauma-informed framework, The Revisions Project offers clients, employees, community members, and society the same dignity, autonomy, and respect.
PROJECT OUTCOMES
The Revisions Project has been designed to help IPV perpetrators identify and process their personal trauma histories in an effort to dismantle the barriers these may present towards participation in accountability building and behavior modification training. The Revisions Project provides its participants with the education, assessment, and emotional support needed to begin to address individual trauma histories safely within individual and group counseling sessions. Specific services (e.g. what group counseling sessions are open to the individual) will be made available based on participant background, identity, and the severity of violence enacted, and with the oversight and ongoing support of a licensed mental health counselor. Through group counseling, peer-mentorship programs, and resilience-building opportunities, program participants will be guided through a “case plan” unique to their backgrounds and needs, learning skills ranging from healthy communication practices to de-escalation techniques. The Revisions Project offers program participants a social-ecological analysis of how violence and control are perpetuated across society, including but not limited to IPV, and empowers participants to dedicate their lives to eradicating violence and oppression of all forms within their homes, communities, and society.
REFERENCES
[i] National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010-2012). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) [Brochure]. Author. Retrieved February 16, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/violencepr...svs/infographic.html
[ii] Holtrop K, Scott JC, Parra-Cardona JR, Smith SM, Schmittel E, Larance LY. Exploring Factors That Contribute to Positive Change in a Diverse, Group-Based Male Batterer Intervention Program. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2016;32(8):1267-1290. doi:10.1177/0886260515588535
[iii] Labriola M, Rempel M, Davis RC. Do Batterer Programs Reduce Recidivism? Results from a Randomized Trial in the Bronx. Justice Quarterly. 2008;25(2):252-282. doi:10.1080/07418820802024945
[iv] Waller B. Broken fixes: A systematic analysis of the effectiveness of modern and postmodern interventions utilized to decrease IPV perpetration among Black males remanded to treatment. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2016;27:42-49. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2016.02.003
[v] Waller B. Broken fixes: A systematic analysis of the effectiveness of modern and postmodern interventions utilized to decrease IPV perpetration among Black males remanded to treatment. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2016;27:42-49. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2016.02.003
[vi] Mair, C., Cunradi, C. B., & Todd, M. (2012, December). Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence: testing psychosocial mediational pathways among couples. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3508260/
[vii] Labriola M, Rempel M, Davis RC. Do Batterer Programs Reduce Recidivism? Results from a Randomized Trial in the Bronx. Justice Quarterly. 2008;25(2):252-282. doi:10.1080/07418820802024945
[viii] National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010-2012). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) [Brochure]. Author. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/violencepr...svs/infographic.html
[ix] National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010-2012). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) [Brochure]. Author. Retrieved February 16, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/violencepr...svs/infographic.html
[x] National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010-2012). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) [Brochure]. Author. Retrieved February 16, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/violencepr...svs/infographic.html
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[xiv] Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia, Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, & United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. (2016). Trauma-Informed Philanthropy: A Funder’s Resource Guide for Supporting Trauma-Informed Practice in the Delaware Valley. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.scattergoodfoundat...formed-philanthropy/
[xv] Mair, C., Cunradi, C. B., & Todd, M. (2012, December). Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence: testing psychosocial mediational pathways among couples. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3508260/
[xvi] Labriola M, Rempel M, Davis RC. Do Batterer Programs Reduce Recidivism? Results from a Randomized Trial in the Bronx. Justice Quarterly. 2008;25(2):252-282. doi:10.1080/07418820802024945
[xvii] Labriola M, Rempel M, Davis RC. Do Batterer Programs Reduce Recidivism? Results from a Randomized Trial in the Bronx. Justice Quarterly. 2008;25(2):252-282. doi:10.1080/07418820802024945
[xviii] Waller B. Broken fixes: A systematic analysis of the effectiveness of modern and postmodern interventions utilized to decrease IPV perpetration among Black males remanded to treatment. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2016;27:42-49. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2016.02.003
[xix] Mair, C., Cunradi, C. B., & Todd, M. (2012, December). Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence: testing psychosocial mediational pathways among couples. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3508260/
[xx] Labriola M, Rempel M, Davis RC. Do Batterer Programs Reduce Recidivism? Results from a Randomized Trial in the Bronx. Justice Quarterly. 2008;25(2):252-282. doi:10.1080/07418820802024945
[xxi] Labriola M, Rempel M, Davis RC. Do Batterer Programs Reduce Recidivism? Results from a Randomized Trial in the Bronx. Justice Quarterly. 2008;25(2):252-282. doi:10.1080/07418820802024945
[xxii] New York Behavioral Health. (n.d.). Domestic Violence - Characteristics of Abusers and Victims - Part I of II. Retrieved February 16, 2020, from https://newyorkbehavioralhealt...victims-part-i-of-ii
[xxiii] Waller B. Broken fixes: A systematic analysis of the effectiveness of modern and postmodern interventions utilized to decrease IPV perpetration among Black males remanded to treatment. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2016;27:42-49. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2016.02.003
[xxiv] Waller B. Broken fixes: A systematic analysis of the effectiveness of modern and postmodern interventions utilized to decrease IPV perpetration among Black males remanded to treatment. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2016;27:42-49. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2016.02.003
[xxv] Waller B. Broken fixes: A systematic analysis of the effectiveness of modern and postmodern interventions utilized to decrease IPV perpetration among Black males remanded to treatment. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2016;27:42-49. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2016.02.003
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[xxviii] Men's Resource Center for Change. (n.d.). About the Men's Resource Center for Change. Retrieved March 1, 2020, from https://www.mensresourcecenter.org/about.html
[xxix] Men's Resource Center for Change. (n.d.). About the Men's Resource Center for Change. Retrieved March 1, 2020, from https://www.mensresourcecenter.org/about.html
[xxx] Men's Resource Center for Change. (n.d.). About the Men's Resource Center for Change. Retrieved March 1, 2020, from https://www.mensresourcecenter.org/about.html
[xxxi] Men's Resource Center for Change. (n.d.). MRC Staff. Retrieved March 1, 2020, from https://www.mensresourcecenter.org/staff.html
[xxxii] Spivak, H., Jenkins, L., VanAudenhove, K., Lee, D., Kelly, M., & Iskander, J. (2014, January 17). CDC Grand Rounds: A Public Health Approach to Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence. Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/Mmwr/previ...mwrhtml/mm6302a4.htm
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[xxxv] Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia, Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, & United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. (2016). Trauma-Informed Philanthropy: A Funder’s Resource Guide for Supporting Trauma-Informed Practice in the Delaware Valley. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.scattergoodfoundat...formed-philanthropy/
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[xxxvii] Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia, Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, & United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. (2016). Trauma-Informed Philanthropy: A Funder’s Resource Guide for Supporting Trauma-Informed Practice in the Delaware Valley. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.scattergoodfoundat...formed-philanthropy/
[xxxviii] SAMHSA’s Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative. (2014, July). SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/user...es/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf
[xxxix] SAMHSA’s Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative. (2014, July). SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/user...es/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf
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[xlii] Voice Male. (n.d.). About. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://voicemalemagazine.org/about/
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