Zeitschrift für Alkoholismus und Drogenabhängigkeit
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How Have Academic Theories of Domestic Violence Influenced Western Physical Domestic Violence Treatment Programs in Recent Years?

Michael Montalto

Domestic violence (DV) in Australia is a pressing issue that continually needs to be addressed. Just as important to consider is how individuals who commit these offences are treated to attempt to prevent instances of reoffending. As such, treatment programs and how they are constructed from a theoretical perspective is an important consideration. The current study examined what academic theories are being used in the rationale and implementation of DV treatment programs in Australia. It also examined whether differing schools of thought (i.e., biological, psychological, social) are being used in conjunction with one another in these programs or separately. In total, 60 male domestic violence treatment programs were analysed using thematic analysis. Overall, results indicated that all of the treatment programs analysed had underlying tones that represented academic influence. Secondly, the results demonstrated that in most cases multiple schools of thought are included in the development of DV treatment programs. Future research could focus on evaluating what models of intervention are most effective and whether or not ‘multi-pronged’ approaches are more effective in reducing DV recidivism.