CHANGE IS A CHOICE!
Battering Intervention Program
The curriculum for the battering intervention groups is psycho-educational in nature. It addresses the participants belief system which they use to justify their behaviors, and it teaches new, respectful and equality based behaviors to replace the abusive ones. This is done through our curriculum which is based upon the Duluth model of education groups for men who batter.
The groups are open, which means participants can enter the group at any time. This can be helpful to reduce the defensiveness of participants when they first begin the groups.
There are nine topics covered during their 27-week participation and we spend three weeks on each topic. These topics are based on the Power and Control and Equality wheel that was developed by talking to battered women about the abusive, controlling behaviors used by their batterer to control them.
The nine themes are:
1. Non-violence
2. Non-threatening
3. Respect
4. Trust and Support
5. Accountability
6. Sexual Respect
7. Partnership
8. Negotiation
9. Parenting
In general, each week has these components:
1. Pay their group fee.
2. Check-In: used for client to report/discuss significant events regarding their relationship with the group. It may also be used if the client feels he/she needs support from the group or having a difficult time implementing concepts learned in group.
3. Review homework if given from the previous week.
4. Participate in exercises and/or activities outlined for that particular session.
5. Processing what the client has learned during that session.
6. must always address their partner by their first name. This is to help participants think of their partner as a person, not an object.
Each topic is usually is covered for three weeks and consists of these components:
1. Definition of the topic - this is to help clients "be on the same page" about what we are discussing.
2. Homework - workbook activities, handouts or finding applicable publications relating to topics discussed in class.
3. Experiential Exercises - these are exercises designed to help clients look at their own behaviors and the effects those behaviors have on others.
4. Applicable Videos
5. Minimization - denial and blame are always addressed in group.
