I-Corps: The Domestic Violence Treatment Knowledge Bank

New York University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

The United States (US) leads the way in formulating theories, court practices, and treatments to combat the epidemic of domestic violence (broadly defined to include abusive behavior perpetrated against an intimate partner or by a family member against another). Despite these efforts, violence against intimate partners or family members remains widespread. Every state in the US currently criminalizes domestic violence and most courts rely on Batterer Intervention Programs (BIPs) as their primary intervention to address this crime. However, high recidivism rates among offenders who have completed BIPs points to a need for further innovation in this field. Many states in the US now allow providers to offer alternative treatment approaches for domestic violence crimes, and victims and perpetrators across the country are seeking these treatment options both in and out of court. Yet courts and service providers lack the necessary resources to respond to this demand. Few, if any, services collect and present information about domestic violence treatment approaches in an accessible, user-friendly format. This I-Corps team will develop a digital knowledge bank on the implementation, service provision, and evaluation of domestic violence treatment programs with a primary focus on perpetrators and a secondary goal of addressing the needs of victims. This service has the potential to improve the overall quality of service provision for domestic violence perpetrators and victims in terms of psychological wellbeing, client satisfaction, and recidivism rates, by increasing the understanding and accessibility of alternative, empirically informed treatment options. The proposed service would provide customers (judges and service providers - both agencies and individuals in private practice) with the practical information needed to introduce new treatment options into their communities. More specifically, the service will include: 1) The latest research and reference materials on domestic violence treatment in a simple format; 2) A list of treatment options available across the country and the relevant resources for contacting those programs; 3) Educational resources and online training modules on alternative treatment approaches; 4) Networking services to facilitate interaction between the various groups providing services to perpetrators and victims; 5) A state-by-state analysis of the relevant laws, ensuring that perpetrators that are court mandated to treatment satisfy state legal requirements and that any new proposed innovations are consistent with state law. The proposed service would enable customers to access and exchange crucial information that is presently both scattered and difficult to access. As it is digital, this service will enable the exchange of information across geographic boundaries and allow clients to access information and training materials from any remote location. The service would promote and foster alternative treatment approaches for addressing domestic violence that are safe and potentially more effective than the standard treatment option offered in each state, bridging the gap between domestic violence research and practice.