Batterer Intervention Programs: A Report From the Field

Over the past 25 years, batterer intervention has become the most probable disposition following a plea or conviction on domestic battery charges and, consequently, batterer intervention programs (BIPs) have proliferated. Despite their popularity, and recent attempts by states to regulate practice, little is known about the actual programs operating in the field. The aim of this study was to examine the philosophy, structure, leadership, curricula, and support systems of BIPs. Respondents from 276 batterer intervention programs in 45 states described their programs via an anonymous, Web-based survey. The results provide some insight regarding the workings of actual BIPs and also point out problems such as the dearth of programs in languages other than English and the failure to translate recommendations for prescriptive approaches into practice.