Attendance is Mandatory,
Learning Not Required.
A review of treatment options and best practices for those
who cause harm in their closest relationships.
Why Best Practices
Save Lives
Any one-size-fits-all treatment plans for those who engage in domestic violence do not respond to the nuances or needs of participants. By providing programming that does not fit the participant's needs, we risk increasing the likelihood of recidivism.
Best Practices
Types of Treatment
Risk Needs Responsivity (RNR): this theoretical foundation addresses individualized rehabilitation strategies for criminogenic needs. Domestic violence treatment programs based on RNR showed a reduction in recidivism by 65-79% at the first year follow-up.
Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy (MIT): While this treatment strategy is still early in domestic violence treatments, results show effective re-modelling maladaptive coping strategies, and fostering self-management.
Motivational Strategies: Building on the client’s intrinsic motivations and matching their readiness for behavioural change builds on the foundational values and beliefs of the client and allows flexible treatment programming that is meaningful to the client. Motivational strategies were shown to reduce participant dropout, effectively increasing the treatment dose.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Participants of ACT groups found significant declines in self-reported physical and emotional abusive actions compared to control groups. ACT also showed reductions in re-conviction and new charges compared to participants of CBT combined with the Duluth Model of power and control.
Policy Recommendations
Ongoing Funding to Address Fee-Based Structure: The ability to access treatment should be unrestricted by those who can afford services. Everyone deserves to access free support to ensure healthy and safe relationships.
Networking and Collaboration Between Front-Line Counsellors and Researchers: Fostering relationships and implementing best practices by developing the network between front-line and researchers.
Improve Prevention Services: Preventing conflict and abuse is revenue positive and economically beneficial, reducing trauma throughout society, and fostering a thriving environment for all citizens.
Dedicated Culturally Specific Programming: Effective treatment for those experiencing domestic violence are flexible and culturally competent.
Longer Duration of Treatment: Longer-term treatment is more effective than short-term treatment which can be ineffective or counterproductive alltogether.
Continues Longitudinal Evaluation One area of assessment is determining which type of assessment is best. While a mixture of assessments is important for well-rounded assessments and balancing their strengths, we must be cautious of implications. Follow-up assessments self-reported by those who were harmed are impacted by their experiences of harm and the violation of trust in the relationships. Relying on enforcement reports (such as police or probation) is inefficient as not every incident of abuse is reported, and not every incident of abuse results in the necessary evidence to charge or end in a determination of guilt.
Assessing Risk
Best practices show a need for individualized programming flexible to the client's specific needs. One-size-fits-all programming needs to be more efficient in addressing the myriad reasons people commit harm against others and addressing the intersectional impacts.
The Risk Needs Responsivity Model is best practice in assessing and rehabilitating those who engage in criminal behaviours. The core principles are: to match the level of service to the risk of re-offending, targeting criminogenic needs in treatment, and tailor the intervention style to maximize the ability to learn.
To effectively address criminal behaviour and rehabilitate the participant, a holistic assessment is needed that addresses specific criminogenic needs and their responsivity to change. These assessments should include collateral contacts to ensure appropriate treatment options chosen are the best fit for the client’s needs.