An exploration of male peer support and the strength and direction of that support as a factor in the decision-making of male batterers regarding the infliction of violence, verbal denigration and coercive controls on their intimate partners.
This paper discusses responding to “Evidence-Based Practice” and improving program operation.
This paper was prepared to facilitate an informed group discussion about the efficacy of batter intervention programs (BIPs). BIPs should be viewed as part of a broader systemic response designed to curb and eliminate men’s use of violence against their female partners. Data was reviewed from studies on the effectiveness of court orders of protection for abuse victims, pro-arrest policies, “no-drop” prosecution policies, educational programs for men who batter, and coordinated community response initiatives. A systemic view on the effectiveness of interventions for men who batter is presented here as an antidote tomisguided proclivity by some IPV researchers to approach interventions with men who batter as discrete medical procedures rather than as social policies and practices intended to respond to individual, domestic, and social needs.
Teen dating violence is pervasive and results in poor physical and mental health, lower academic achievement, truancy and school drop-out. An effective prevention program will decrease these poor academic factors and increase student health, safety and academic achievement by meeting youth where they are – in schools.
This report describes findings from a survey and in-person meeting with participants of Futures Without Violence’s National Institute on Fatherhood, Visitation, and Domestic Violence (NIFDV) in order to evaluate the impact of the Institute in its first five years of existence.
In addition to assessing impact, the goal of this project was to identify lessons learned, obstacles to implementation of the Institute’s principles, and fruitful next steps for future iterations of the Institute.
This paper focuses on the research on small group treatment programs for men who batter. There is controversy over which, if any, programs are the most effective. This paper first provides a brief overview of the history and current practice of group-work with men who batter, and then focuses on key findings from the published research on batterer group programs.
Based on the qualitative research conducted at the beginning of the Fathering After Violence initiative, we developed a theoretical framework to conceptualize the process of healing between children and their fathers who have renounced violence.
This model is a work-in-progress based primarily on in-depth interviews with six men who had stopped their violence and had started to heal their relationships with their children.
These three exercises addressing Empathy, Modeling and the Reparative Framework are provided in Spanish and English. Although the exercises may be more effective when used sequentially and as a group, they could also be used independently and interspersed with other exercises. The order of the exercises may also be altered to fi t each program’s format and practice.
Introduce the Fathering After Violence exercises to all program staff and prepare group facilitators for the implementation of these exercises.
Information regarding the specific requirements of Title IX as they pertain to sexual harassment and sexual violence.
This document addresses intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual misconduct, recognizing that institutions may choose to have separate or integrated policies regarding these offenses. Although many campus policies, as well as the Dear Colleague Letter, address only sexual misconduct explicitly, intimate personal violence and stalking also contribute to an environment hostile to women and are often interrelated.
It is not a legal document and should not be construed as providing legal advice.
The Stalking Resource Center, a program of the National Center for Victims of Crime, partnered with the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) to publish this model campus policy on stalking. Numerous colleges and universities across the country contact the Stalking Resource Center each year, requesting assistance on how to address stalking on campuses. This document provides examples of stalking policies intended for schools to adapt and implement on their campuses.
Letter from the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights addressing Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972. Dated 2011.
A look at using a 3-D, immersive video game designed to help teens learn about healthy relationship skills.
Presentation slides on norms and academic achievement. The goals of this document are:
A look at why the middle school years are so important.
The presentation slides include information on relationships, gender differences, and peer and social influence.
Presentation slides on using pop culture and music to reach teens.
A look at how to embed healthy relationships into school policies to create positive change. The presentation slides include an overview of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and State laws concerning child abuse, bullying, sexual assault, dating violence.
This report reflects discussions as well as research on the latest legal, educational, and programmatic responses to teen sexting and answers questions judges and other community leaders may have about this challenging issue. The guidelines at the end of the report suggest key factors for judges to consider in adjudicating these cases and offer suggestions for how judges and other community leaders can educate the public about sexting, prevent unintended consequences for teens who engage in this activity, and distinguish between voluntary, social/sexual experimentation or exploration and coercive, controlling and detrimental tactics that could belie destructive and dangerous youth relationships.
One page document on the findings and purpose of Title V: Battered Immigrant Women.
An issue of concern is how these [self-petitions for permanent residence under the Violence against Women Act (VAWA) for spouses and children of abusive U.S. citizens and permanent residents, nonimmigrant visas for victims of serious crime, and T visas for victims of human trafficking] types of protection might apply to immigrants in United States territories. This paper will give an overview of the current status of applicability of those forms of protection in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico, and make proposals regarding the implementation of the listed forms of protected relief in those regions.
As home visitation programs are expanded, there is an unprecedented opportunity to prevent domestic violence among vulnerable young families and to effectively intervene when domestic violence is already occurring. This is essential both as a means of preventing child abuse and neglect and improving maternal and child health outcomes. By integrating domestic violence into all aspects of these programs, the investment of federal dollars will go even further in achieving home visitation’s intended outcomes and fulfilling its promise for millions of American families. As policy makers look to scale up these programs, we ask them to consider the following recommendations.
Researchers emphasized the effects of intimate partner violence on children’s development. “If we’re talking about keeping kids healthy,” said Dr. Megan Bair-Merritt, Professor of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University, “then we need to think very thoughtfully about how intimate partner violence affects kids.” She called home visitation programs, “a good way to intervene.”
Home visitation programs are case management programs designed for pregnant and parenting mothers of small children.
The goal of this MOU is twofold. The first goal is to help establish a deeper relationship between home visitation and domestic violence programs and support ‘warm’ referrals. A second goal in developing a partnership between home visitation and domestic violence services is to create opportunities to connect pregnant and parenting women to home visitation services while they are in shelter.
Dr. Linda Bullock, a University of Missouri School of Nursing Professor, presented her work evaluating domestic violence interventions in home visitation programs. “The main ingredient of home visitation is the support and education that these women are getting,” she said.
These presentation slides discuss key findings and recommendations regarding screening for intimate partner violence by health care providers, as well information on new guidelines established by the Affordable Care Act.
It is critical that health care providers recognize and respond to an expanded definition of domestic violence when serving women with disabilities. Women with disabilities tend to suffer from additional types of abuse, for longer durations, and at the hands of a greater number of perpetrators.
The Center for Research on Women with Disabilities (CROWD) found that women with physical disabilities are more likely to use every major category of health care provider and facility (including public health clinics and emergency rooms) within a given year.
This paper was developed by the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence,supporting health care practitioners, administrators and systems, domestic violence experts, survivors, and policy makers at all levels as they improve health care’s response to domestic violence.
This document includes information pertaining to health care effects and costs of domestic violence, health care response to domestic violence, federal health care reform, and a model for creating domestic violence response in health care settings.
Comprehensive resource list for health care providers seeking to create and strengthen health care-based domestic violence prevention and response programs.
Ten steps to create a health care response to domestic violence.
This policy includes sample language surrounding the policy, procedure, and documentation for routine screening, indicators, intervention, and community resources.
While treatment programs for batterers have proliferated in the United States over the past 20 years, little is known about these programs by other human service providers, and much less by the general public.
This article reviews the historical development of such programs, overviews their goals and methodology, and concludes with a discussion of emerging issues.
The Batterer Intervention Program curriculum guidelines and tools presented in this document are part of a larger effort to engage all men – both non-violent men and those who have used violence in domestic violence prevention initiatives.
These materials were developed as part of the Fathering After Violence Project that the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) initiated in 2002 with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
This document is an effort to remedy the excessive focus on mothers in cases involving domestic violence. It provides suggestions for connecting with and holding abusers accountable. This guidebook captures a decade of research and practice wisdom on strategies for intervening with and engaging men in the context of child protection. It is a resource for child protection workers, supervisors, managers and others working with families involved in the child protection system. It provides a comprehensive understanding of what domestic violence is and how it often manifests itself in cases involving child abuse and neglect.
It has been well documented that exposure to IPV is a potent traumatic stressor for children, often adversely affecting their physical and emotional health. However, caring adults can help children heal and thrive. The recommendations that follow were created to help guide IPV advocates in their daily work with mothers and families. The recommendations are drawn from a review of core components of evidence-based therapeutic intervention models for children exposed to IPV including Child Parent Psychotherapy, Trauma- Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the Kid’s Club. Information about these evidence based models and other research on services for children and youth can be found on the Promising Futures: Best Practices for Serving Children, Youth, and Parents Experiencing Domestic Violence website.
On December 20, 2010, President Obama signed into the law The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Reauthorization of 2010, (P.L. 111-320). While other legislation funds child welfare services, CAPTA is the only law dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, and despite relatively modest amounts of funding, serves as a driving force of child welfare practices in states. Also, included in the CAPTA reauthorization was the reauthorization of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) and the Abandoned Infants Assistance program. FVPSA is the only source of dedicated funding for victims of domestic violence and their children and supports the majority of the nation’s domestic violence shelters and services.
In this guidance document, we aim to explain the purpose and meaning of the Continuum of Evidence of Effectiveness, a tool that was developed to facilitate a common understanding of what the Best Available Research Evidence means in the field of violence prevention.
This Continuum also serves to provide common language for researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in discussing evidence-based decision making.
This report speaks to the pioneering programs inspired by a growing appreciation of the pervasiveness danger and consequences of domestic violence for women and their children. It provides a portrait of a quiet crisis brewing in the 1980s and 1990s as well as discussions among stakeholders, increasingly robust research, templates from new programs, and dissemination of information that has contributed to a new framework for aiding abused families.
Now it is time to mine the lessons arising from these efforts, consider the practices and policies, and identify their implications for the future.
This handbook distills what Community Engagement for Change groups have learned about organizing at the community level and provides advice culled from the experiences of site leaders and other seasoned organizers. It is intended for anyone who wants to initiatie or expand family violence prevention work, including agencies addressing family and community health and well-being, community development groups, and grassroots leaders.
This handbook describes strategies for achieving the goals and lessons learned by the Community Engagement groups. There are no simple solutions or proven prevention practices: this handbook reflects work in progress and the groups doing the work.
This report looks at some of the lessons learned from community-based efforts to counter family violence. The bulk of the report focuses on five key goals that emerged from the FVPF’s survey, goals that are critical to family violence prevention efforts. The discussion includes examples of groups that are addressing each of the goals.
There is also a section on the nuts and bolts of reform—a list of practical guidelines for effective community engagement to prevent family violence.
These guidelines are primarily intended to provide additional information to trained Family Team Conference facilitators that will help them address domestic violence issues in the context of Family Team Conferences. In addition, the guidelines offer background information and tips for other Family Team Conference participants, including domestic violence advocates, community-based service providers, child welfare agency workers, and extended family members.
It is also our hope that readers who are new to Family Team Conferencing will gain insight into this innovative approach that engages families and community members in child welfare decision making.
This package of information summarizes findings and evidence from federal reviews of research studies and program evaluations to help localities address childhood exposure to violence and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.
These evidence-based practices should be reviewed and incorporated as practitioners and policy makers work in multi-disciplinary partnerships to plan and implement services and activities to prevent and respond to children exposed to violence.
In December 2009, national experts in batterer intervention and domestic violence gathered in Washington, D.C. to discuss how to improve intervention systems and design research that better informs practice. This meeting was the result of a unique partnership of nonprofit organization, the Family Violence Prevention Fund; federal agency, the National Institute of Justice; and private foundation, “The Woods” Charitable Foundation.
This report describes the experts roundtable, summarizes the key themes that emerge.
Many women who have experienced domestic violence are also involved with the child protection system (CPS). Most are poor, and a disproportionate number are women of color, both immigrant and U.S. born. Being involved with CPS can be frightening, overwhelming and confusing for them. And as an advocate, you may feel as helpless as the women you are trying to assist. This guidebook is intended to understand a woman’s situation and help her navigate the road to safety, well-being, and self-sufficiency.
As its name implies, the Activist Dialogues focus on stimulating, informing and transforming conversations in order to create positive social change, respond to and prevent family violence. The document offers recommendations designed to address the co-occurrence of child abuse and domestic violence. It also aims to strengthen the understanding and capacity of primary systems — dependency courts, child protective services and domestic violence service providers.
The ACE Study is ongoing collaborative research between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA, and Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, CA. The Co-principal Investigators of The Study are Robert F. Anda, MD, MS, with the CDC; and Vincent J. Felitti, MD, with Kaiser Permanente.
Over 17,000 Kaiser patients participating in routine health screening volunteered to participate in The Study. Data resulting from their participation continues to be analyzed; it reveals staggering proof of the health, social, and economic risks that result from childhood trauma.
ACE Reporter is a newsletter designed to reach a wide audience. These irregularly-produced publications offer a digested version of important ACE Study findings. Available in multiple languages including Spanish, Chinese, and
The reports are available from the ACE Study website.
In 2001, Futures Without Violence produced the first State by State Legislative Report Card on Health Care Laws and Domestic Violence. Following in 2010, FUTURES produced a Compendium of State Statutes and Policies on Domestic Violence and Health Care that updated and replaced the earlier publication. The third edition was (2013) newly titled: Compendium of State and U.S. Territory Statutes and Policies on Domestic Violence and Health Care, and included a new chapter: Tribal Codes on Domestic Violence and Promising Programs in Indian Country. This fourth edition continues to provide the most recent updates to state and territory laws, statutes, and policies; updated summaries for state public health work; a revised section on tribal codes on domestic violence; and a new section on trauma-informed mandatory reporting.
The Compendium is an at-a-glance summary of state and U.S. territory laws, regulations, and other activities relevant to addressing domestic violence in health care settings. It includes analyses and themes that reflect policy and programmatic changes made in the last two decades by leaders in the fields of health care, policy and domestic/sexual violence advocacy. FUTURES invited staff from every state and territory department of health and/domestic violence coalition to review their respective summary and provide feedback; the Compendium reflects these comments. While some states/territories reported on sexual assault policies and programs, this compendium is not an exhaustive review of health policies and programs that relate to sexual assault. Additionally, policies change quickly and may have changed since we invited feedback from the field. If there has been a change or an omission on our part please let us know by emailing health@futureswithoutviolence.org. Relevant state and territory laws were researched to ensure correct citations through both state legislative web pages and LexisNexus.
Developed for health care professionals, this resource guide discusses the implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for domestic violence reporting.
Includes a summary of the federal guidelines for victims of domestic violence, frequently asked questions about HIPPA, requirements for meeting the Hybrid Entity designation, disclosure requirements to law enforcement, and a sample business associate contract.
Connect is a three hour curriculum, Power Point presentation, video and related tools intended for use in child welfare settings with foster parents, kin caregivers, and adoptive parents with all levels of experience in caring for children who have been exposed to domestic violence, or who may have cause to care for these children in the future.
Connect is designed as a basic training session on the dynamics of domestic violence, the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children, and strategies for supporting children who have been exposed to violence.
Effective Interventions offers a comprehensive set of policy recommendations designed to increase safety for mothers and children experiencing both domestic violence and child maltreatment. These guidelines target three systems – battered women’s advocates, child protection services and family court judges – with the goal of keeping mothers and children safe and together and avoiding unnecessary out-of-home placement. The guidelines were developed in 1999 by leading family court judges and experts on child maltreatment and domestic violence – experts convened by the National Council on Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ).
From 2000-2007, the United States Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice funded six demonstration sites across the country. The demonstration sites joined battered women’s organizations, child protection agencies, the courts, and other partners in implementing the Greenbook’s recommendations. NCJFCJ, Futures Without Violence and the American Public Humane Association provided technical assistance to the sites. Every local site was evaluated individually, and a comprehensive national evaluation was conducted at the completion of the initiative.
Many lessons were learned and products such as training curriculums, community assessment tools and multimedia materials were developed and collected to assist others in doing this work. Visit the Greenbook initiative website for more information and resources.
