NCJ Number
232129
Editor(s)
Michael Burke
Date Published
2008
Length
56 pages
Annotation
This guide from the Family Violence Prevention Fund is intended for use by those working with abusive fathers and their families to provide more advanced interventions for the engagement of abusive fathers in visitation centers.
Abstract
The work described in this guide is based on two main ideas: that men who use violence can be held accountable for their behavior and at the same time encouraged to change it, and that women and children can benefit from this approach. The interventions described in this report are based on findings from the Fathering After Violence initiative, a national initiative that aims to help end violence against women by motivating men to renounce their abuse and become better fathers. The guide is intended for use by grantees of the Safe Havens Supervised and Safe Exchange Grant Program that want to enhance the safety and well-being of women and children by providing more advanced interventions for abusive fathers who use the centers to visit their children. The guide is divided into chapters that present information on the background of the Safe Havens Supervised and Safe Exchange Grant Program, and on the key premises of the program, that abusive fathers can be held accountable and at the same time encouraged to change their behavior, and that women can benefit from this approach. The chapters also provide information for visitation centers regarding organizational readiness, cultural context of the families, assessment of participants at various levels, effective communication with mothers, establishing community partnerships, and a continuum of practices in engaging abusive men. Appendixes