Domestic Abuse Perpetrators Who are they?

1. Domestic Abuse PerpetratorsWho are they? Sue Pearce Assistant Director - Interventions 28th November 2006

2. Community Domestic Violence Programme • Accredited through CSAP • As system with closed groupwork • 4 aspects • Multi-agency risk assessment and risk management • Contact with known victims • Pro-active offender management • Gender based cognitive behavioural groupwork

3. Who are these offenders? • Some characteristics that many studied perpetrators share • Male; youth ( Moffit 1997) ; • authoritarian (Hastings 1997) ; • depressed ( Pan et al.) • and unlikely to verbalise emotions (Yelsma1996); • tend to blame violence on external factors and minimise seriousness ( Stamp and Sabourin 1995) • No single profile that completely and reliably distinguishes • Characterisation by risk • Characterisation by psychological/ behavioural characteristics

4. Who are these offenders? • By typology • Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart 1994 • Family only 50% ;dysphoric/borderline; generally violent/antisocial • Dutton and Golant 1995 • Emotionally volatile/psychopathic/over controlling

5. HORF 217 • Domestic Violence Offenders as a heterogeneous group • Witnessing domestic violence in childhood • Disrupted attachment patterns • High levels of interpersonal dependency and jealousy • Attitudes condoning domestic violence • Lack of empathy

6. Who are these offenders (2) • HORF 217 • Alcohol as a feature 62% /dependant 48% • 2 main types • Borderline/emotionally dependent had high levels of jealousy, high levels of anger, low self esteem • Antisocial /narcissistic had hostile attitudes towards women, low empathy, highest alcohol dependence • By risk of harm

7. Subtypes of offender • Antisocial/ narcissistic – antisocial – 47% • Tendency to engage in antisocial behaviour • Drug and alcohol dependence • Endorse macho attitudes • Difficulties with empathy • Likely to have previous convictions (range of offences)

8. Antisocial/ narcissistic- narcissistic-13% • Tendency to be paranoid and narcissistic • Tend not to endorse macho attitudes • tendency to respond in socially desirable manner • Dismissive attachment style

9. Antisocial/narcissistic - low pathology – 12% • Narcissistic • Moderate macho attitudes • Respond in Socially desirable manner • Do not express high levels of anger • Tend not to engage in ideas of suicide • Not likely to report childhood abuse

10. Borderline/emotionally dependent – 28% • Highly interpersonally dependent • High levels of anger • Depression/anxiety • Low self esteem • Likely to blame others for their circumstances • Likely to have experienced physical and sexual abuse in childhood • Fearful attachment style and engage in suicidal thoughts

11. Types of Behaviour Reported by Partners • Economic abuse • Emotional abuse • Male privilege • Isolation • Coercion and threats • Minimising • Intimidation • Using children

12. Nested Ecological Model (Dutton 1995) • Macro-system • wider cultural attitudes and beliefs • Exo-system • influence of local social structures • Micro-system • Immediate environment • Ontogenetic • Individual level developmental history/experience of victimisation/mental health

13. Indicators of success • What is success? • Reoffending • Repeat incidents • Victim feedback • psychometrics Integrated Programme • West Yorkshire results • Canadian results

14. When is a programme not a programme? When it’s a system