NCJ Number
91093
Date Published
1982
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Three types of programs provide most of the treatment for violent men involved in spouse abuse: programs established for the specific purpose of treating violent men, programs which are part of established social service agencies serving other persons as well, and crisis intervention services for battered women which have developed a treatment component for the assailant.
Abstract
Data came from a mail survey of 80 programs for abusive men. Forty-four programs sent responses covering referral sources, telephone hot lines, services provided, staffing patterns, problems encountered, and community education. Referrals came from a wide variety of sources, although a single referral source might provide a program with anywhere from 2 percent to 95 percent of its clients. The court and battered women's programs were the two most frequent sources of referral, while clergymen and child protection agencies were the least frequent sources. Only half of the programs had telephone hotlines. The programs provided a variety of services, including individual counseling, group counseling, and couples counseling. Most programs had at least one professional counselor or therapist on the staff. A total of 39 percent of the programs used volunteers. Most programs provided some form of community education. The main problems reported were attrition and lack of funding. Violent men can benefit from specially designed treatment programs, but further research should try to determine the most effective methods of service delivery. Footnotes are included.