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ABSTRACT
Clinical and scientific initiatives focused on fathers who exhibit violent and abusive behavior in the context of domestic violence have proliferated since 2000. The objective of this article is to review current intervention practices designed for violent fathers, to provide a critical analysis of the current intervention trends, and to identify research directions. Results reveal two main categories of objectives of programs intended for these fathers: (1) increasing accountability and empathy while decreasing violence; and (2) fostering positive fathering and father-child relationship. Ten programs targeting violent fathers using different intervention approaches (e.g., group intervention, family therapy) are identified and described. Finally, we discuss challenges related to research (i.e., program evaluation) and practice (i.e., co-parenting) that researchers, facilitators, and service providers need to address in order to preserve the safety and well-being of children, mothers, and fathers.
Acknowledgments
The authors want to thanks the reviewers and the editor for their comments, which contributed to greatly enhance the article.
Notes
The terms “violent spouse” and “violent father” will be used to facilitate reading. The authors, however, remain conscious of the importance of distinguishing between individuals and their behavior, and that violence by no means represents the only attribute that defines the identity of the men discussed in this article.