NCJ Number
154908
Date Published
1993
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video profiles the processing of domestic assault cases in Bellview, Wash., with emphasis on diversion that includes intensive treatment of offenders.
Abstract
In one case, the perpetrator describes the occasion and the nature of his assault on his girlfriend; she called the police and he was arrested and jailed overnight. The next day, his case was heard in a Bellview court, and without any determination of guilt, the perpetrator was given the option of receiving intensive treatment and staying away from the victim or being subjected to traditional adjudication. He accepted the treatment regime and benefited from it. In another case, a couple that experienced violence in their marriage is interviewed both individually and together. The violence and intimidation became so serious and frightening that the wife took their children and forced a separation until the husband got treatment. He did seek treatment, albeit, by his own admission, with some denial and disinterest. Some treatment sessions are portrayed in the video. Group therapy is used, where offenders can hear from others about their experiences. The focus of the treatment is understanding one's anger and developing mechanisms to manage it so that violent behavior does not occur. One offender notes that had he not had the opportunity to understand the causes and consequences of his violent behavior, he could have seriously hurt someone. The video also shows that it is not only men who abuse their partners. A family counselor discusses his own situation, in which he was the victim of his wife's physically abusive behavior. Overall, the video shows how the criminal justice system and the mental health system can work together to remedy and prevent the recurrence of domestic violence.