How to Enforce Batterer Treatment Counseling

A conviction in a domestic violence case is just the beginning of the process. Victims and batterers alike face long struggles towards healing and rehabilitation. In most cases, a guilty batterer will be ordered to attend different forms of counseling and therapy to try and uncover the root of his abusive tendencies and overcome them. Because the process can be emotionally and psychologically challenging, it's fairly common for abusers to skirt their counseling responsibilities. By teaming up with government agencies, individuals can help enforce treatment counseling for those convicted of domestic violence.

Instructions

1. Enforce sobriety through regular screenings for drugs and alcohol. Substance abuse can make it easier for a convicted batterer to hide from the real issues that led to violence.

2. Assess the individual batterer's situation. Understand why he thinks he's engaged in this behavior and whatever personal factors (childhood abuse, substance abuse) he feels have contributed to the issue. Enforce treatment and prevent backslides into abusive behavior by aggressively exploring how violent outbursts have been triggered in the past.

3. Monitor the abused partner for signs that she's suffering abuse as retribution for statements made to law enforcement, court or counseling professionals. Information that an abused partner makes during the course of a domestic violence investigation can often come back to haunt her. While a batterer may say one thing to appease a counselor, his actions at home might be very different.

4. Refuse to allow batterers to place blame on others for their situations. While external factors such as jobs, alcohol abuse or religion can factor into abuse, the batterer needs to understand that she owns her problem. Many people suffer from similar fears and pressures without resorting to physical violence.

5. Report any missed counseling session to the proper authorities. This can be difficult action for an abused spouse or family member to take, since the batterer could face jail time, but proper treatment and counseling are absolutely crucial to his recovery. Abusers will not be able to overcome their problems without serious professional help.

Tips & Warnings

• Male and female batterers may not receive the same types of treatment. It's common for male and female abusers to be separated during the counseling and rehabilitation stages.

• Laws that mandate counseling as treatment can change from state to state. Before you can hope to enforce counseling, you'll need to look up the individual laws in your area.

• Group counseling situations can make it easier for batterers to find sympathy among each other. This can impede the healing process and make it difficult for counselors to help an abusive spouse overcome his issues.

• While some forms of treatment and counseling have fees associated with them, it's likely that some payment option exist for convicted batterers with limited incomes.