1. Treatment needs of female perpetrators of Domestic Violence: What do we know? Robyn Yaxley, Dr. Kimberley Norris, Dr. Mandy Matthewson & Prof. Jenn Scott School of Medicine (Psychology) University of Tasmania contact:
Introduction
Feminist conceptualisation of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has inhibited investigation of and service system responses to female perpetrators of IPV, despite community-based studies and meta-analyses producing evidence of gender symmetry in the perpetration of IPV since the early 1970’s.
There are a small number of dedicated programs operating in North America, however the majority of female perpetrators are mandated to attend treatment programs designed for men.
Aim
To review the empirical literature outlining the treatment needs of female perpetrators of IPV and what constitutes best practice in this area.
Method
Systematic search of ProQuest database in June 2016 using the following search terms: "female perpetrators of intimate partner violence" OR "female offenders of intimate partner violence" OR "partner aggressive women" AND character* AND (intervention OR treatment OR program*) AND (recommendation* OR implication*)Results
Results
A total of 113 journal articles, theses and dissertations were identified, of which 42 were retained after reviewing titles and abstracts.
Discussion
The treatment needs of female IPV perpetrators vary by perpetrator profile: unilateral vs. bilateral violence perpetration, generally violent vs. partner only violent, motivation, frequency and severity of violence and presence of comorbid conditions.
Whilst female perpetrators have a number of dynamic risk factors in common with their male counterparts, they also have a number of gender specific treatment needs and are unlikely to benefit from treatment approaches based on feminist conceptualisations of IPV.
Tailoring treatment in response to the risk, need, responsivity profile of female IPV perpetrators is likely to prove more effective than requiring them to participate in programs designed for men. The introduction of such programs has the potential to extend the application of therapeutic jurisprudential approaches to IPV and expand the range of sentencing options currently available to the courts in dealings with female perpetrators of IPV.
Key References
Dowd, L. P., & Leisring, P. A. P. (2008). A Framework for Treating Partner Aggressive Women. Violence and Victims, 23(2),
Leisring, P. A., Dowd, L., & Rosenbaum, A. (2003). Treatment of partner aggressive women. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 7(1-2),
Stewart, L. A. P., Gabora, N. M. A., Allegri, N. M. A., & Slavin-Stewart, M. C. (2014). Profile of Female Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence in an Offender Population: Implications for Treatment. Partner Abuse, 5(2),