Batterer-intervention programs aim to curb further abuse

Over the past year, Northwest Montana has begun making inroads to address domestic violence through a legislative proposal aimed at protecting victims and the addition of three victim advocates in Flathead County.

But resources targeting the perpetrators of domestic abuse are lagging behind, and recidivism and limited effectiveness plague most batterer-intervention programs.

That’s according to the University of Kentucky’s Center for Research on Violence against Women, which estimates that “treatment prevents future violence only about 5% more than arrest alone.”

Lundy Bancroft, a pioneer in the field, writes in his book,"Why Does He Do That": "Even the very best counselors give the same report: it is more common for abusers to stay the same or get worse than it is for them to make the kind of changes that bring qualitative improvements in the lives of their partners and children.”