Duluth Model Of Domestic Violence

There are several types of domestic violence treatment programs for the victims and the perpetrators. These programs are educational and psychological treatments, community-based interventions, and criminal justice interventions. Educational and psychological treatments was once based on the feminist model called Duluth Model. This model was based on the fact that domestic violence was a way to control women. The Duluth Model is considered to be confrontational to the perpetrators power over their spouse. Another more modern treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on treating anger and identifying cognitive distortions that lead to anger. CBT, unlike the Duluth Model, focus on men and women. Both treatments last anywhere between 12 to 52 sessions and is normally court mandated (Huss, 2013). These sessions include relationship history, treatment goals, anger management strategies, expressive and listening skills,
problem-solving and communication skills, and relationship recovery skills (Meichenbaum, n.d.). Community-based interventions are geared towards the victims of domestic violence.
It provides safe houses, shelters, and advocacy programs. The safe houses are in secret locations so the victim can get away from the abuser and relocated. Shelters provide long term shelter for the victim and the children and provide therapy. Advocacy programs help the victim to reestablish a new life and any legal resources necessary to keep the victim safe (Huss, 2013).
Criminal justice interventions includes psychological help and incarceration of the perpetrators. One process of criminal justice interventions is mandatory arrests. Mandatory arrests are made when the police arrive at the scene of domestic violence situation. Another process is a protective order which mandates that one party stays away from the other. This may require the perpetrator to stay so many feet away from the victim. Retraining orders are also used and may require the same as a protective order but also require such things as child support or child custody (Huss,
2013).
It is stated that approximately two thirds of men who complete some of these intervention programs for domestic violence remain nonviolent. Those that continue to be abusive normally dropout of treatment and have substance abuse issues. Studies also show that treatment works far better than incarceration. Correctional treatment shows only 12% improvement whereas psychotherapy shows 70% improvement rate (Meichenbaum, n.d.).
I have seen the therapeutic side and the correctional side of dealing with perpetrators. I have to agree with the studies that psychotherapy tend to work better than correctional treatment. I have seen inmates become more aggressive while in prison they receive little to no therapy. And most of them talk about actually doing more harm top their partner some even speak of killing them when they are released. While working in a level five prison in Virginia, I found a letter in an inmate cell plotting to kill his wife because he had been incarcerated for domestic violence. Therapy seems to be the best route for perpetrators.