Unpacking Domestic Violence Intervention Programs

Domestic violence is a public health concern and most existing literature has focused on service delivery for victims, opposed to interventions for perpetrators. The Duluth model is the most common model guiding groups for perpetrators, yet results on its effectiveness have been inconsistent and unclear. Counselors and counselor educators lack the empirical support needed to effectively apply the Duluth model while working with the people who abuse. The purpose of this qualitative, existential–phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of participants in Duluth Model-based, domestic violence intervention programs (DVIPs). Guided by existential–phenomenological theory, this study addressed the research question: What are the experiences, beliefs, and values of participants enrolled in domestic violence intervention programs based on the Duluth Model? Using purposive sampling, eight cisgender, heterosexual men who completed at least 50% of a Duluth Model–based DVIP participated in semi-structured interviews or open-ended written questionnaires. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis and thematic coding, in which transcriptions, reflexive journals, and open-ended questionnaires were organized into first and second level coding. Findings revealed themes related to participants initial resistance to group, rapport with facilitators and peers, vulnerability, real life application, relatability to outside examples, trauma-informed care, patterns of substance use history, and a desire for follow-up services. By better understanding the components of program that impact the DVIP group experience, service providers can better adapt programming to affect long-term behavior change.