DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic Violence: Treatment Programs to Curb Perpetrators of Domestic Violence

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Domestic Violence3

Overview3

Exploring the Etiology of Male Intimate Partner Violence6

Feminist/Patriarchy Theory6

Family Systems/Relationship Theory7

Social-Learning/Cognitive-Behavioural Theory8

Treatment Programs For Perpetrators9

References12

Domestic Violence: Treatment Programs to Curb Perpetrators of Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence

Overview

Domestic violence is also known as intimate partner violence; spousal, wife, or partner abuse; wife battering; marital violence; relationship aggression, and dating violence (Jewell & Wormith, 2010). Domestic violence is typically described as a pattern of abusive and coercive behaviours used by an adult in an intimate relationship to gain power and control over the other person. Domestic violence is a pervasive criminal justice and public health concern affecting individuals and families across the diverse spectrum of cultures, races, religions, classes, sexual orientations, and ethnic groups (Nicolson, 2010). Domestic violence is commonly understood as a pattern of coercive and abusive behaviours used by an individual to gain power and control over an intimate partner, occurring in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships (Santos et al. 2012). Various types of abuse are included in the general term domestic violence, such as physical abuse, psychological abuse, economic/financial abuse, sexual abuse, social isolation, deprivation, destruction of property, and intimidation and threats of abuse or abuse of others, including children and pets (Santos et al. 2012). Domestic violence can include other types of violence that occur between family members, such as child abuse and elder abuse.

Although domestic violence can be committed by both men and women and can develop in all types of intimate relationships including same-sex partnerships, studies such as those conducted by the UK Department of Justice (DOJ) have consistently shown that the overwhelming majority of domestic violence victims are female (Nicolson, 2010). Since widespread recognition of and policy regarding domestic violence stemmed from the women's movement in the mid-1970s, domestic violence is often viewed as a function of a patriarchal society where cultural and societal norms, attitudes, and behaviours condone and perpetuate men's violent acts against women (Exum et al. 2010).

Whereas men's violence is often found to be more severe, have more serious consequences than abuse committed by women, and likely be employed to control partners, studies have often found that when women acted as primary aggressors, violence was used as self-defence, to protect themselves or their children (Exum et al. 2010). However, some researchers and scholars argue that men and women equally commit domestic violence and that female aggression should not always be categorized as self defence; thus, the issue should be addressed using gender neutral terms.

Every year, domestic violence is responsible for enormous, tangible economic costs such as vast amounts of federal, state, and county money spent on the criminal justice response to domestic violence offenders (National Centre for Injury Prevention and Control, 2003). Medical and mental health-associated expenses for victims are also astronomical, as are workforce labour costs from domestic violence-related absences. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that in the United States in 1995, the cost of intimate partner violence-related medical and mental healthcare services and lost productivity ...