Domestic Violence
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this research is to compare the effectiveness of two interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV). In most states, men who are convicted of domestic assault court-mandated to complete a Batterers Intervention Program (BIP) as part of their sentencing. The most commonly used BIP is based on The Duluth Model, which has been shown to decrease the recidivism of IPV offenders, but only marginally. The Duluth Model is a group intervention based on feminist theory and cognitive behavioral therapy. A new BIP called Achieving Change Through Values-Based Behavior (ACTV) has recently been developed by the PI as an alternative to Duluth. ACTV is currently being used statewide within the Department of Corrections (DOC) in Iowa. ACTV is a group intervention that utilizes acceptance and mindfulness techniques in addition to techniques from cognitive behavior therapy. The current study will use a randomized control trial to compare Duluth and ACTV, in order to assess the interventions' relative impact reducing IPV behaviors (physical aggression, psychological aggression, stalking, harassment, etc). Data on these outcomes will be collected via official criminal justice reports (i.e., criminal charges) as well as reports from victims. Other processes and outcomes of interest (attitudes toward women, emotion regulation, parenting behaviors, etc) will be collected from offenders.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALACTV
Achieving Change Through Values-Based Behavior (ACTV) - pronounced ACTIVE - is a new intervention program for domestic violence offenders. ACTV was developed as a collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and the criminal justice system in the state of Iowa (Zarling, Lawrence, Oregno, 2017). It is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999), which is an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. ACTV is innovative in two primary ways; first, ACTV applies the ACT model to the treatment of domestic violence, and second, ACTV is specifically designed for use in the correctional setting as part of criminal justice programming.
BEHAVIORALThe Duluth Model
The Duluth Model is based on the premise that domestic abuse happens when men believe they have the right to authority over women who are their intimate partners. The Duluth Model Men's Nonviolence Classes help men stop battering and explore the consequences of the violence for themselves, their partner and their children.
Sponsors
Iowa State University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* English-speaking * First time domestic assault offender * Domestic assault must be against an intimate partner * Must be on supervision/probation
Exclusion criteria
* Participation in any previous ACT-based or Duluth Model programming
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic assault recidivism | One year time period following BIP | Domestic assault charges (per criminal justice data) |
| Conflict Tactics Scale | Start and end of BIP, then one year later | Psychological (subscale min-max= 0-48), physical (subscale min-max= 0-72), and sexual (subscale min-max= 0-42) aggression (per victim reports); higher values = greater frequency of aggressive acts |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) | Start and end of BIP | Experiential avoidance (per offender self-report); min-max = 7-49; higher scores = greater experiential avoidance |
| Male Role Norms Inventory-Revised | Start and end of BIP | Sexist beliefs and attitudes; min-max = 21-147; higher scores = greater agreement with traditional gender roles and sexist beliefs |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed