This research investigates the perceptions and viewpoints of staff working for the Hamilton Abuse Intervention Project (HAIP) as to the impact of changes in government policy. Established in 1991 HAIP is a coordinated community response to domestic violence based on the Duluth Model. Over the last two decades governments in New Zealand have introduced policies and strategies to combat violent crime in the community predicated on the understanding that addressing violence within the family/whanau setting will assist in breaking the cycle. This research focuses on the impact of strategies which advocated inter-agency collaboration such as the VIP Pol400 Project (Pol400 Project) established in 2001 with HAIP as the lead agency. (VIP is an abbreviation standing for Violence Intervention Project). The research also set out to test the hypothesis that working within an environment marked by the introduction of policy changes and new strategies has a significant impact upon a social services agency such as HAIP. In view of the inherent complexity of investigating perceptions and viewpoints qualitative methodology was chosen for this research. Ten of the fourteen people employed by HAIP contributed to the research. Semi-structured face to face interviews and the written answers from questionnaires provided a detailed body of information which informed the narrative and descriptions of this study. An outline of relevant legislation, policy initiatives and strategies introduced over the last two decades was provided to give a framework for the study. Each of the respondents commented on issues related to funding and workload. Inadequate funding was seen to be adding to already heavy workload which continued to grow aggravated by the demands of compliance and accountability. Respondents identified some aspects of HAIP which had been affected by lack of adequate funding such as the loss of the 24/7 Crisis Line and difficulties with maintaining the parallel development policy. However, In spite of funding shortfalls respondents noted that HAIP's services continued to expand and examples were given of recent initiatives such as the establishment of home support groups. Several respondents identified the Pol400 Project as being significant development in HAIP's services. Respondents commented on its value in closing gaps in the criminal justice system's response to incidents of family violence. A detailed analysis of the Pol400 Project using archival material and using statistics from the HAIP Pol400 database demonstrated the comprehensive extent of the inter-agency collaboration. The findings of this investigation showed that respondents regarded inadequate funding and increased workload as impacting significantly on their work. However, apart from comments made in relation to some negative impacts on HAIP of the Domestic Violence Act of 1995, respondents rarely made a specific connection between these issues and their relationship to changes in government policies. This study showed that since the Pol400Project began in 2001 reported incidents of family violence and subsequent referrals rose steadily but the data showed a marked increase in activity following the involvement in 2005 of a Family Safety Team. The increase in the intake of reports was attributed, in part, to the police addressing gaps and shortfalls in their own systems. The impact of the Pol400 Project on HAIP was seen, in the main, to be contributing positively to HAIP's role in providing a seamless coordinated community response to family violence.

Domestic violence, specifically intimate partner violence (IPV), is a major social problem in the United States despite legislative efforts aimed at reducing it. The Duluth model, which is the preeminent domestic violence intervention model used in the United States, is a male-only group intervention based on feministic views that domestic violence stems from men's behaviors to assert power and control in relationships. While the model is widely emulated, its policies and practices are under scrutiny from researchers who question the program efficiency, pointing to high recidivism rates. Guided by feminist theory, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to examine perceptions of 7 male and female program facilitators with various educational backgrounds, specifically toward the effectiveness of the anger management component of the Duluth model. Individual in-depth interviews were collected and inductively analyzed, revealing a lack of diversity related to various cultures and client base, limited scope of the model in addressing causes or contributors of battering, lack of coordinated community response, and limited use as an orientation tool at the beginning of counseling to discuss violent behaviors and behavior modification. These findings provide insight for positive social change by addressing facilitators' concerns and developing solutions to create positive social change at the individual and family level.

The focus of this hermeneutic phenomenological, qualitative study was to gather an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of male batterers participating in a standardized Duluth-model batterers' treatment group. The study had three main goals: (a) to understand the experience of male batterers participating in a standardized male batterers' treatment program, (b) to improve the treatment being provided to male batterers, and (c) to improve services to those impacted by domestic violence. Results from previous studies indicated that treatment for male batterers is ineffective and inconsistent and that the treatment provided, regardless of framework or modality, has little or no effect on recidivism. This study advances understanding of male-batterer treatment by exploring treatment from the perspective of those who receive it. The study included 9 men currently participating in a Duluth model batterer's treatment program in Minot, North Dakota. From the study results, 3 overall themes emerged: (a) overall group experience, (b) facilitators, and (c) Duluth model. Results indicated that the current delivery of the treatment is not effective for batterers. Findings suggested that the facilitators played an essential role in the treatment program. Findings further suggested that participants believed the Duluth model could be an effective treatment modality for batterers. Study findings may inform a more responsive and comprehensive treatment modality for male batterers. Such an intervention may improve service delivery for both batterers and victims as well as improve recidivism. These changes may result in positive social change for not only families caught in the cycle of violence but also for every sector of society.