Fernando Mederos Content Topic Results

Parenting Interventions for Men Who Batter

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 17:27:18 +0000

Parenting Interventions for Men Who Batter Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/12/2014 - 12:27

NRCDV Publications

General Material

Published Date

June, 2012

Publisher(s)

VAWnet: The National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Katreena Scott

Fernando Mederos

As part of the ongoing effort to prevent violence against women, recent years have seen an increased interest in services for fathers who batter their children’s mothers. Research has provided compelling reasons to intervene with violent fathers, including the expanded role of today’s fathers in children’s lives (Sandberg & Hofferth, 2001); the positive psychosocial outcomes associated with involved fathers behaviors (Sarkadi, Kristiansson, Oberklaid, & Bremberg, 2008; Allen & Daly, 2007; Marshall, English, & Stewart, 2001); and the risks for psychological health associated with child exposure to domestic violence (Evans, Davies, & DiLillo, 2008; Kitzmann, Gavlord, Holt, & Kenny, 2003; Wolfe, Crooks, Lee, McIntyre, & Jaffe, 2003). Moreover, except in extreme cases, most children maintain contact with their fathers despite past or current violence (Scott & Crooks, 2004). Parenting interventions for men who batter attempt to address these realities while reducing the burden of child protection on mothers (Scott & Crooks, 2007). Ideally, such interventions improve outcomes for women and child survivors of domestic violence.

Interventions for batterer fathers are based on preliminary research into this population. The most widely recognized characterization of fathers who batter mothers describes them as hostile, demanding, and controlling (Bancroft & Silverman, 2002; now revised, Bancroft, Silverman, Ritchie, 2012); children of batterer fathers are also at greater risk of being abused (Stith et al., 2009; Salisbury, Henning, & Holding, 2009; Smith Slep & O’Leary, 2005; Edleson, 1999). Not all batterer fathers fit this profile, however; some are emotionally or physically disconnected from their children (e.g. Martin et al., 2009; Perel & Peled, 2008; Scott & Crooks, 2007; Fox & Benson, 2004); while others are able to maintain healthy and connected relationships. Until further research can be conducted, it is important to recognize that batterer fathers are a heterogeneous group with a range of characteristics and needs.

Parenting interventions for men who batter share four aspects in common:

Use of a motivational approach to engage and retain fathers in intervention. All programs use the principles of motivational interviewing to encourage men’s reflection on intergenerational patterns of violence and draw on their commitment to being good fathers (Perel & Peled, 2008; Crooks et al. 2006; Fox, Sayers, & Bruce, 2001; Miller & Rollnick, 2002).
Continued emphasis on the need to end violence against their children’s mothers. Men are taught that they cannot abuse their children’s mother without also hurting their children (Evans et al., 2008; Scott & Crooks, 2004; Katz & Low, 2004; Kitzmann et al., 2003; Wolfe et al., 2003). Most programs collaborate with services for battered women to ensure they are responsive to the needs and goals of victimized women and children (Scott, Francis, Crooks, & Kelly, 2006).
Program content addressing accountability for past abuse. All existing curricula include exercises to help fathers understand the traumatic impact of their violence on their children (Perel & Peled, 2008; Scott & Crooks, 2004).
Intervention to reduce father’s use of harsh discipline. One major aim is to help fathers develop a “child-centered” view of fathering and skills for engaging in positive and healthy parenting.

Along with these common features, the field also includes areas of controversy.

How can we best guard against potential unintended consequences of parenting programs for men who batter? Not all fathers benefit from intervention or understand why access to their children has been restricted, and thus represent continuing risk to their partners and children (Lishak & Scott, 2012; DeGarmo, 2010; Jaffee et al., 2003). An intervention may unintentionally increase risk to women and children if participating fathers are given access to their children despite lack of real progress (Scott & Crooks, 2007).
What is the best timing of parenting interventions for men who batter, especially in contrast to programs that specifically address domestic violence? Some recommend that parenting programs be restricted to fathers who have completed a batterer intervention program (see Caring Dads program, http://www.respect.uk.net/data/files/ respect_position_statement_on_ the_caring_dads_programme.pdf). Others argue that such a limitation can be unnecessary and even dangerous in cases where the primary physical risk is to children; individual assessment, rather than blanket restrictions, are encouraged (Ver Steegh & Dalton, 2008).
Should parenting programs for men who batter be separated from those for fathers who have abused or neglected their children? All programs acknowledge the research showing a considerable overlap between men who batter women and men who abuse and neglect their children (e.g. Hamby, Finkelhor, Turner, & Ormrod, 2010; Jouriles, McDonald, Slep, Heyman, & Garrido, 2008; Edleson, 1999); however, they vary in the extent to which they address child maltreatment in their curricula.
What are the perspectives of women on parenting programs for men who batter, and how can we ensure the voices of women and children victims of men’s abuse be considered in these programs? While many programs are vigilant about engaging with women’s advocates, the inclusion of women victims’ perspectives is more complex due to the unique challenges faced by battered mothers (e.g. Lapierre, 2010; LŽtourneau, Fedick, & Willms, 2007; Levendosky & Graham-Bermann, 2001). For example, battered women are often compelled to continue parenting with their batterer; parenting interventions for batterer fathers may increase pressure on mothers at the expense of mother and child safety.

There are many compelling reasons to include fathers in the efforts to end violence against women and children. When batterer fathers are not considered in interventions, mothers become solely responsible for assessing, monitoring, and responding to concerns about fathers’ parenting. Further research and strong connections to other service providers will help minimize the potential risks of parenting interventions for batterer fathers. Well-designed and collaboratively linked parenting programs for men who batter have the potential to support healthier and safer relationships between parents and children.

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Parenting Interventions for Men Who Batter	609.22 KB
Parenting Interventions for Men Who Batter, an interview with Katrina Scott	15.45 MB

Material Categories

Nontraditional Programming

Child Welfare

Domestic Violence

Offenders / Perpetrators

Parenting

Young People

Practical Considerations for Parenting Interventions for Men who Batter

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:15:35 +0000

Practical Considerations for Parenting Interventions for Men who Batter Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/12/2014 - 13:15

NRCDV Publications

General Material

Published Date

June, 2012

Publisher(s)

VAWnet: The National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Katreena Scott

Fernando Mederos

Pioneering interventions for men who batter need to be based on clear principles and guidelines that protect the safety and well-being of women and children. Such considerations are outlined in a companion paper entitled Parenting Interventions for Men who Batter. Also important are considerations about the practicalities of service provision, including questions about program length and organization, referral routes, specific program content, and nature of collaboration between agencies. Lessons learned from parenting, fathering, batterer, and child protective interventions are the basis for offering practical recommendations for parenting programs for batterers.

Recruitment
Referral routes can be organized through the criminal court system, child-protection professionals, or family court. But is not enough to simply invite fathers to established services: very few fathers come (Phares, Fields, & Binitie, 2006; Rimm-Kaufman & Zhang, 2005). Literature on fatherhood programs and parent training offer recommendations for recruiting and retaining men in services (e.g. Lengua, Rose, Schupak-Neuberg, Michaels, Berg, & Weschler, 1992; Pruett, Cowan, Cowan & Pruett, 2009), including:

Make programs father-friendly. Agencies may have the most success in engaging fathers in programs that are designed specifically for men or father-child dyads.
Use teaching methods and materials that are appropriate for fathers and for the cultures of the populations being served.
Use incentives to engage fathers and families, such as meal and bus tickets, cash, and agency-wide reinforcement of the expectation that fathers be involved in services (Burges, 2009; Bronte-Tinkew et al., 2007).
Consider mandating treatment. Mandates are not associated with lower treatment efficacy, and may in fact reduce drop-out rates and increase compliance (Skowron & Reinemann, 2005).
Be creative with outreach and emphasize the benefits of menÕs engagement in intervention (Burgess, 2009). For example, recruit during an identified transition (new father, application to the court for divorce) or a problem (incarceration, previous drug use) (Bronte-Tinkew et al., 2007).

Program Organization
The literature on parent training and fatherhood programs also has direct relevance for the organization of parenting programs for men who batter. The following recommendations can be made:

Include a mix of behavioral and attitudinal components (Skowron & Reinemann, 2005; Lundahl et al., 2006).
Use a combination of group and individual sessions to assure comprehensive treatment (Lundahl et al., 2006; Bronte-Tinkew et al., 2007).
Lengthen the duration of treatment time (ie. a minimum of two to three months) (Bronte-Tinkew et al., 2007; Lundahl et al., 2006).
Work with a targeted replicable curriculum that has a clear theoretical foundation (Bronte-Tinkew et al., 2007).
Select teachers and facilitators with experience and relevant training (Bronte-Tinkew et al., 2007).

Program Content
Many existing parenting interventions for men who batter focus less on content typically covered in parent training programs, and more on themes developed by batterer service providers: effects of domestic violence, accountability for past abuse, and changing menÕs abuse-supporting attitudes. A review of the literature on child maltreatment and menÕs abuse of women yields the following recommendations for program content:

Focus on reducing over-reactivity/anger/hostility in parenting (Stith et al., 2009; Eckhardt, Samper, & Murphy, 2008), using a complex view of the role of anger in family violence (Gondolf, 2007; Gondolf & Russell, 1986).
Teach strategies for respectful parenting, co-parenting, or parallel-parenting with their childrenÕs mothers; continued conflict between mothers and fathers is associated with negative outcomes for children (Katz & Low, 2004; Wolfe, Crooks, Lee, McIntyre-Smith, & Jaffe, 2003).
Improve the quality of father-child relationships by addressing fathersÕ attitudes and skills. Interventions that build fathersÕ tolerance of challenging behaviors and increase positive engagement with their children help reduce the risk factors for child maltreatment (Bugental et al., 2010; Bugental & Schwartz, 2009; Francis & Wolfe, 2008; Perez-Albeniz & de Paul, 2004).
Address menÕs abuse of substances as a significant risk factor for both woman abuse and child maltreatment (Jones & Gondolf, 2001).

Collaborative Management of Risk
Improved inter-agency collaboration is one of the most common recommendations of child abuse and domestic violence services (Pennington-Zoellner, 2009; Douglas & Cunningham, 2008; Allen, 2006); this is particularly true of parenting interventions for men who batter. A proportion of clients will likely not benefit from intervention (Klein & Tobin, 2008; Gondolf, 2001; Bennett, Stoops, Call, & Flett, 2007). Containment measures become necessary to ensure the safety of potential victims of abuse, requiring strong communication and coordination across agencies. Recommendations include:

Shared intake with program referrers. Joint intakes provide a forum for clear communication about the reason for referral and the desired outcome of intervention.
Regularly scheduled check-ins with referrers. Such contacts must remain focused on assessing, monitoring, and containing risk and avoid drifting into providing advocacy for fathers.
Thorough follow-up on failed referrals and program drop-outs. Research demonstrates that treatment drop-out is a good predictor of re-assault (Bennet et al., 2007; Gondolf, 2001); in these cases, intervention programs must ensure that appropriate protective measures are in place for all members of the family.
Organization of and participation in multi-agency case management teams for clients at high levels of risk. While such teams need to be vigilant to issues of confidentiality and protection of information, they can develop comprehensive safety plans and risk management strategies for men and their families.

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Practical Considerations for Parenting Interventions for Men who Batter	581.82 KB
Parenting Interventions for Men Who Batter, an interview with Katrina Scott	15.45 MB

Material Categories

Nontraditional Programming

Child Welfare

Domestic Violence

Offenders / Perpetrators

Parenting

Young People

Fathering After Violence: Working with Abusive Fathers in Supervised Visitation

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:42:54 +0000

Fathering After Violence: Working with Abusive Fathers in Supervised Visitation Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/10/2014 - 08:42

General Material

Publisher(s)

Family Violence Prevention Fund

Author(s)

Fernando Mederos

This guide was developed to assist Safe Havens grantees who want to enhance the safety and well-being of women and children by working more deliberately with abusive fathers who use the centers to visit their children. These interventions are based on the learnings from the Fathering After Violence Initiative, developed by the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) and five current and past SVP grantees with funding from the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW).

The work described in this guide is grounded on two key premises: Men who use violence can be held accountable for their behavior and simultaneously be encouraged to change it; and women and children can benefit from this approach.

Domestic Violence and Probation

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 16:35:34 +0000

Domestic Violence and Probation Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/17/2014 - 12:35

General Material

Publisher(s)

Battered Women's Justice Project (BWJP)

Author(s)

Fernando Mederos

This article offers specialized management techniques that probation officers can use to monitor batterers and intervene in domestic violence cases more effectively. The author offers suggestions on how to manage offenders on probation, respond to common excuses, and handle those offenders least likely to be held accountable. Tips for assessing dangerousness and lethality and assigning cases to appropriate levels of monitoring are included.

Associated Links

Domestic Violence and Probation

BWJP’s Probation Training and Technical Assistance Project

Material Categories

Screening & Assessment

Criminal Justice

Domestic Violence

Homicide / Lethality

Offenders / Perpetrators