Male Domestic Violence Offenders Experiences In A Batterer Intervention Program

Domestic violence is a significant concern in the United States. Twenty people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2020b). In Indiana, 42.5% of women experience intimate partner physical or sexual violence or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2020a). Perpetrators of domestic violence are often mandated to attend batterer intervention classes. Effective batterer intervention programs are essential to victim safety and decrease the likelihood that the perpetrator will engage in domestic violence behaviors in the future. However, the effectiveness of existing batterer intervention programs may not be enough. Most current batterer intervention programs focus on the batterers' abusive behaviors to gain power and control over the victim (Cannona et al., 2016; Mills et al., 2019). Furthermore, research indicates a lack of effectiveness in current batterer intervention programs (Ager, 2017; Ferrer-Perez & Bosch-Fiol, 2018; Mills et al., 2019). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to better understand the needed elements for effective batterer intervention programs for participants and facilitators in Central Indiana. This research was guided primarily by an ontological assumption due to the emphasis on the nature of the participants' reality (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Data was collected through one-on-one interviews to identify common themes in what batterer intervention participants and facilitators find essential in reducing domestic violence through batterer intervention programs.