NCJ Number
242872
Date Published
January 2013
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of literature review examining effective practices for reducing recidivism by domestic violence offenders.
Abstract
This report from the Washington State Institute for Public Policy presents the results of a literature review examining effective practices aimed at reducing recidivism among domestic violence (DV) offenders. The review was conducted pursuant to a request from the Washington State Legislature to a) update its analysis of the national and international literature on DV treatment; b) report on other interventions effective at reducing recidivism by DV offenders and criminal offenders in general; and c) survey other States' laws regarding DV treatment for offenders. The current standard for DV treatment in Washington is a group-based treatment model based on a model developed in the 1980s in Duluth, MN. The literature review found that Duluth-like treatments were not effective at reducing recidivism among DV offenders, but that a variety of non-Duluth group-based treatment methods reduced recidivism among DV offenders by up to 33 percent. Due to the variability in the approaches used by the non-Duluth methods, this report was not able to identify which of these methods was most effective at reducing recidivism by DV offenders and criminal offenders in general. Some of the approaches identified by the review include couples group therapy; cognitive-behavioral, client-centered therapy focusing on understanding violence and coping with conflict; relationship enhancement therapy; and substance abuse treatment. The report also identifies interventions that have been used for the general offender population that may be effective treatment methods for DV offenders. 6 exhibits