Perpetrators of home abuse passed specialized programms

Tuesday, 22 December 2015 14:21 |

“Against the Invisible Violence” is another project by Fund IGA on the subject of home abuse in which experts from the organization work not only with victims but with perpetrators as well. The goal of this activity is the social rehabilitation of 15 perpetrators of home abuse who need to go through a specialized programme in which each of them will go through 3 sessions. The leader of the programme is an applied specialist-expert from Fund IGA who has taken part in the creation of the programme as well as in its application due to his experience.

Up to now 6 perpetrators of abuse have gone through the programme and each of them has gone through an initial risk assessment of the home abuse act. This assessment is made available through a specialized instrument – Model of assessing and managing the risk of home abuse with perpetrators, which was introduced by experts from the organization. After the assessment is made, the results are summarized and analyzed and a report with conclusions and recommendations is prepared.

One of the aims of the Programme for work with perpetrators of abuse is to make the perpetrator realize their problem and to motivate them for a positive change in their behavior and their relations with other people. From the previous practice of the experts of Fund IGA it has become clear that at the beginning of working with perpetrators they do not realize at all that they have a problem with aggression. That is why the focus is mostly on the role and the significance of values and communication as a process. Apart from the theoretical part the sessions also include practical elements focused on forming communicative skills. The topics are selected according to the particular case with a view to reach a complete realization of the committed act and motivation for a positive change.

The aim of the individual programme is to cover the reasons leading to abuse as well as to devote more time on the perpetrators’ forming a normal behavior and satisfactory relations with family members. Some of the clients show a potential for dealing with the problem. The difficulties stem from the necessity for a change in the value system and the mindset. With support from outside resources (family, friends), however, the perpetrators of abuse can build a new kind of relations with their family without aggression or abuse.

The work with these clients is fully in accordance with the documentation of the project as well as with the active legislation.