CBT-based domestic-violence perpetrator programmes

Domain II · Behavioural & cognitive

What it is

This is a family of structured, usually court-mandated group programmes for men who have used violence and abuse against an intimate partner. They are not one therapy. They combine (a) pro-feminist accountability education, which says abuse is a learned, chosen pattern of power and control, and (b)…

Format

• Typical dose and format
• BBR (UK): 24 group sessions of 2.5 hours, plus 5–6 individual sessions. There are four six-session modules (24 ÷ 6). The Foundation module is always delivered first and must be completed before any other module. The remaining modules can run closed or rolling. After each module comes a one-hour…

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Version followed: the CBT-based, Duluth-informed group model as delivered in court/probation-mandated programmes. The structural spine is HMPPS Building Better Relationships (BBR) (England and Wales, CSAAP-accredited 2013): Foundation module first, then further modules, with one-to-one sessions between modules. Accountability methods come from the Duluth (DAIP) men's curriculum (Pence/Paymar, control log). The CBT…
• What it is. This is a family of structured, usually court-mandated group programmes for men who have used violence and abuse against an intimate partner. They are not one therapy. They combine (a) pro-feminist accountability education, which says abuse is a learned, chosen pattern of power and control, and (b) cognitive-behavioural skills training in self-monitoring, arousal control, cognitive restructuring, and…

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• Clinician's caveat (the reason partner safety is central). Controlled studies show small effects that do not differ between Duluth and CBT formats (Babcock et al. 2004). A man's attendance or completion must therefore never be presented to a partner, court or children's services as evidence that…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Does it use a device, heat, cold, water or a physical procedure? Has a medical professional checked that it is safe for you?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• Spotting traps only in her speech.
• Reviews that confirm attendance only.
• Repeated non-completion (see section 5).
• Plans that rely on her behaving differently.
• History used as an excuse. Connect it to choice now.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.