Batterer’s Intervention

Domestic Abuse Intervention Program
Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Abuse

A Batterer’s Intervention Program (BIP) is an integral tool of a coordinated community response to domestic abuse and focuses on accountability for batterers with a priority on victim safety.

Using the nationally respected Duluth Model our goals will:

• Ensure safety for the partners of group participants while working to end domestic abuse by creating a culture of deterrence.
• Ensure the program is collaborating with the justice system, human service providers, and battered women’s programs.
• Teach offenders alternatives to coercive, controlling, and abusive behavior in intimate relationships.

How it works

• Perpetrators are court-ordered into the 24-week educational program designed to confront the abuser with his abusive conduct.
• Eight themes, based on the Duluth Model and promoting non-abusive behavior, are presented by a male and female
  facilitator.
• Trained facilitators are compensated for each session with fees collected from the perpetrator.

BIP Program Philosophy

• Abuse is intentional.
• Battering is a system of abusive behaviors that are used to maintain control.
• Most cultures have supported male dominance in families.
• Individual men can change.
• Except in cases of self-defense, there are always alternatives to abuse.

BIP Program Content

• Participants are encouraged to take full responsibility for their behavior.
• Facilitators respectfully challenge existing sexist beliefs and attitudes.
• Groups support the men to change controlling and abusive behavior.
• Facilitators challenge minimization, denial, and blame.
• The group process is compassionate but not colluding.
• Facilitators teach men to develop relationships with women based upon equality.