Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue in the United States, affecting millions of people each year across all ages, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses. At some point in their careers, most mental health professionals will evaluate and/or treat a client with a history of IPV. Therefore, it is essential that they are equipped to identify the signs and symptoms of IPV, conduct accurate assessments, and develop and implement treatment plans that address the impact of trauma and chronic stress, and assist clients with safety plans and resources for immediate and long-term safety. All the while, mental health professionals must provide compassionate care and abide by ethical guidelines and legal requirements.
This intermediate course addresses intimate partner violence, specifically the nature and scope of the problem, its causes, prevention, assessment, treatment, and pertinent ethical and legal issues. The course materials consist of reports from national intimate partner violence agencies; three audio interviews with transcripts; a review of assessment measures from the Centers for Disease Control; and written materials related to prevention, assessment, treatment, safety planning, and ethical and legal issues. The course is divided into five sections. Section One presents an overview of the nature and scope of the problem of IPV, along with statistics on the incidence, causes, effects, and unmet needs of survivors. It also includes information on IPV in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender couples. Section Two provides perspectives on the history of IPV over the past several decades. Section Three describes policies and practices related to the prevention of IPV across the lifespan. Section Four discusses assessment and treatment, specifically how to address barriers to independence before and after leaving abuse, provide safety planning and support, and assist clients through stages of recovery. Finally, Section Five reviews the ethical and legal requirements surrounding IPV, with a particular emphasis on California law.
Educational Objectives
This course will teach the participant to:
Describe the different types of IPV and their clinical warning signs
Explain statistics related to the unmet needs of survivors
Describe the incidence and unique dynamics of IPV in same-sex and transgender couples
Discuss how our understanding of IPV has evolved within the past several decades
Identify common themes, rationales, and approaches for the prevention of IPV
Utilize screening and assessment instruments to assess past, current, potential IPV, and different types of IPV
Identify the common barriers to people leaving abusive relationships
Discuss practical steps for clinicians to assist with safety planning
Describe how clients present in various stages of recovery from IPV
Understand ethical and legal requirements surrounding IPV
Syllabus
Introduction to Intimate Partner Violence: Nature and Scope of the Problem
What is intimate partner violence (IPV)?
Is it different than domestic violence?
Different types of IPV
History of domestic and IPV in the United States
Statistics of domestic and IPV
Common physical, psychological, and economic effects of domestic violence
Manifestations of IPV and abuse and their clinical warning signs
Causes of abusive behavior
National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) statistics
number of people accessing services and types of services requested
unmet needs of survivors
Statistics on and characteristics of IPV in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected intimate relationships
Intersection with race/ethnicity, immigration, and disability status
Abusive partner tactics
Police involvement
State IPV resources
Perspectives on Intimate Partner Violence Causes and Treatments
History of “battered women syndrome,” feminist movement, and field of trauma in psychology
Moving from learned helplessness to empowerment
Outdated view of male batterers
Emerging recognition of high incidence of women on male violence
Changing views of police on domestic violence calls
Changing perspectives of courts
Controversial perspectives on IPV and people who batter
Systemic view: both partners play a role in IPV
Why the systemic perspective is NOT blaming the victim
Strength-based approach: each partner has legitimate, understandable, important needs
Biological/evolutionary perspective on violence and control
