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Couples in abusive relationships often want to maintain their relationship, for a variety of reasons:   Have children in common Continue to experience mutual affection and love Lack the financial means to live separately Do not believe in divorce The Domestic Violence Focused Couples Treatment (DVFCT) is a model treatment program that has been shown […]

Alcohol or drug abuse plays a role in at least 40% of incidents of partner abuse, according to a Department of Justice study (1). And one survey of abuse shelter staff found drugs and alcohol were involved in at least 50-60% of domestic violence cases (2). Such persons may not have been diagnosed with a substance abuse […]

Anger is a common trigger of domestic violence incidents. These 10 steps outline the process of overcoming one’s feelings of anger: 1. Identify Feelings Take an inventory of your feelings. Name these feelings: Mad, glad, sad, angry, or what? 2. Identify Your Thoughts Clarify the thoughts that are contributing to your anger. Ask yourself: “Why must […]

An anger management group, often mandated by the court or by Child and Protective Services, is a widely used abuse-reduction modality. An anger management program can run from a few weeks to a full year. Many facilitators believe the ideal size is 12-15 persons. Although these courses address the standard set of verbal, emotional, and […]

Let’s assume you have your professional credentials, and now you’re beginning to work in the domestic violence field. What are some of the “tricks of the trade” that seasoned practitioners have learned? First, educate yourself about the current research – see What are the Seven Key Facts About Domestic Violence? It may turn out the research findings […]

There are many different factors that contribute to domestic violence. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has identified 28 social, community, personality, early childhood, and other individual factors (1). Similarly, a 32-nation study identified 24 risk factors for intimate partner aggression, of which the need for dominance was only one (2). To assess whether the […]

Domestic violence comes in many shapes and sizes. Before effective counseling or treatment can take place, an assessment needs to be done on both persons experiencing the violence. Persons who provide counseling, treatment, or other intervention services for domestic violence victims and/or offenders need to obtain information about the pattern and triggers of the abuse: […]

Domestic violence (DV) is a complicated problem that defies easy explanation. So a careful assessment is essential to effective domestic violence counseling and treatment. Furthermore, if laws in your state designate you as a mandated reporter, you need to have a reasonable suspicion of abuse before you can report an incident. If you report an […]

Population-Specific Information Following are inclusive resources directed at specific populations. To submit your resource to consider for inclusion, send the information to info-at-saveservices.org: African-Americans Research: Partner Abuse in African-American Populations – Table 1 Fact Sheet: Intimate Partner Violence in the African-American Community American Indians Research: Partner Abuse in American Indian Populations – Table 4 Asian-Americans Research: Partner Abuse in Asian-American Populations – Table 3 Asian […]

Issue Summaries General Issues: What are the causes of domestic violence? Are we making progress in the national effort to curb domestic violence? Federal Policies: What federal laws and programs address domestic violence? Which federal non-discrimination laws apply? Data Quality Act Mandatory Arrest/Over-Criminalization: Why did VAWA change from a mandatory to a pro-arrest stance? What […]