THE CURRICULUM DESIGN

Batterers Intervention Program

 

The Power & Control Wheel

PHYSICAL VIOLENCE SEXUAL

USING COERCION AND THREATS

Making and/or carrying out threats to do something to hurt her, threatening to leave her, to commit suicide, to report her to welfare, making her drop charges, making her do illegal things.

USING INTIMIDATION

Making her afraid by using looks, actions, gestures; smashing things, destroying her property, abusing pets, displaying weapons.

USING EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Putting her down, making her feel bad about herself, calling her names, making her think she’s crazy, playing mind games, humiliating her, making her feel guilty.

USING ISOLATION

Controlling what she does, whom she sees and talks to, what she reads, where she goes, limiting her outside involvement, using jealousy to justify actions.

MINIMIZING, DENYING AND BLAMING

Making light of the abuse and not taking her

concerns about it seriously, saying the abuse didn’t happen, shifting responsibility for abusive behavior, saying she caused it.

USING CHILDREN

Making her feel guilty about the children, using the children to relay messages, using visitation to harass her, threatening to take the children away.

USING MALE PRIVILEGE

Treating her like a servant, making all the big decisions, acting like the “master of the castle”, being the one to define men’s and women’s roles.

USING ECONOMIC ABUSE

Preventing her from getting or keeping a job, making her ask for money, giving her an allowance, taking her money, not letting her know about or have access to family income.

 
Text Box: The educational groups provide the participants with information and practical tools to CHANGE those values, beliefs, and behaviors which provide the foundation for their use of violence. Objectives of the Curriculum The program is designed to help stop battering by achieving five objectives: 1. To assist the participant to understand his acts of violence as a means of controlling the victim’s actions, thoughts, and feelings by examining the intent of his acts of abuse and the belief system from which they operate. 2. To increase the participant’s willingness to change his actions by examining the negative effects of his behavior on relationships, partners, children, friends, and himself. 3. To increase the participant’s understanding of the causes of violence by examining the cultural and social context in which violence is used. 4. To provide the participant with practical information on how to change abusive behavior by exploring non-controlling and non-violent ways of relating. To encourage the participant to become accountable to those he has hurt through use of violence by encouraging him to acknowledge abuse and accept responsibility for its impact on partners and others.

The Themes of the Curriculum
Text Box: The curriculum is based on eight themes, each of which is explored over a three-week period. Each theme represents an aspect of nonviolent and respectful relationships. THE EQUALITY WHEEL NON-VIOLENCE NEGOTIATION AND FAIRNESS Seeking mutually satisfying resolutions to conflict, accepting change, and being willing to compromise. NON-THREATENING BEHAVIOR Talking and acting so that she feels safe and comfortable expressing herself and doing things. RESPECT Listening to her non-judgmentally, being emotionally affirming and understanding, valuing opinions. TRUST & SUPPORT Supporting her goals in life, respecting her right to her own feelings, friends, activities and opinions. HONESTY & ACCOUNTABILITY Accepting responsibility for self, acknowledging past use of violence, admitting being wrong, communicating openly and truthfully. RESPONSIBLE PARENTING Sharing parental responsibilities, being a positive non-violent role model for the children. SHARED RESPONSIBILITY Mutually agreeing on a fair distribution of work, making family decisions together. ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP Making money decisions together, making sure both partners benefit from financial arrangements. NON VIOLENCE The Equality Wheel identifies behaviors which provide the basis for an egalitarian relationship between a man and a woman, focusing on individual behavior (not on their behavior as a couple) in order to keep the abusers looking inward at values and choices rather than at those they blame. These are the opposing behaviors to those on the Power and Control Wheel. This Wheel offers the participantants a vision of what individual