NCJ Number
158014
Date Published
1994
Length
67 pages
Annotation
A commission established by the Florida legislature proposed minimum State standards for the treatment of perpetrators of domestic assault, based on the view that intervention with batterers is crucial to stopping the cycle of violence in the home and preventing its recurrence.
Abstract
The commission consisted of victim advocates, providers of batterers' intervention programs, criminal justice system representatives, and representatives of the military. It gathered from national experts, a review of other States' actions, and public meetings. The standards focus mainly on victim safety and the safety of affected children. The standards also reflect the view that violence is a choice made by perpetrators, who must be held accountable for their actions and must be taught how to change their violent behavior. The standards also propose that the State certify the programs and personnel who provide intervention services to batterers. The 15 sections of the standards cover the purpose, definitions, policies, criteria for intervention, appropriate and inappropriate intervention approaches, system procedures, conflicts of interests, assessments, program content, personnel credentials, and program monitoring and evaluation requirements. Footnotes, appended flow chart and text of legislation, and 2 references