Treating Female Perpetrators: State Standards for Batterer Intervention Services (Report‪)‬

In the past 20 years, domestic violence has received increased attention from policymakers across the United States. Local laws have been strengthened, and legal policies have been enforced more consistently (Martin, 1994). Among the changes has been an attempt to standardize and supervise the operation of batterer intervention services. Most states have developed standards for the treatment of court-mandated and voluntary clients of batterer intervention services by looking to research-based, theoretical, and philosophical perspectives to develop the most effective services possible (Maiuro, Hagar, Lin, & Olson, 2001). However, few states have identified appropriate services for women who have been physically aggressive in relationships. The goal of this study was to examine the existing standards guiding batterer intervention services and make recommendations for further policy change. The research consists of a qualitative content analysis. The research questions included the following: What are the core components of batterer intervention service standards? To what extent do service standards address services for women? To what extent do standards address the differential needs of men and women?