anger management

Published on: September 21, 2023

What Types of Treatment Are Available for Abusive Partners?

Maybe you never thought you’d find yourself in this situation: arrested on suspicion of domestic violence and facing possible criminal charges. In your mind, perhaps it was just an argument that got out of hand. Maybe this is the first time it’s happened. Or possibly it’s happened before. Maybe–heaven forbid–it points to a pattern of abuse. Of course, the first order of business is to navigate the legal issues surrounding your arrest and charges–but what about afterward? If you have a problem, what steps can you take toward treatment to ensure you don’t keep hurting the people you love?

In the State of California, if this is your first domestic violence offense, the first question about treatment might be answered for you. If you are convicted, you will likely be mandated to attend a state-approved Batterer’s Intervention Program (BIP) for the next year as a condition of probation. But there’s been some question about the overall effectiveness of these programs–they seem to work well for some, not so much for others. What if you avoid conviction and aren’t mandated to attend a BIP, but you know there’s still an issue? Or what if you want to take responsibility for your own recovery, whether or not you attend a BIP?

The good news is that you do have some options. The actual type of treatment you should choose will depend in part on your personal circumstances, your background, and any root issues that may be triggering your violent behavior. Let’s explore some of the treatment options available to you.

Published on: April 13, 2022

Mending Relationships after a Domestic Violence Altercation

by Michael Kraut

Let’s be honest: it’s hard to rebuild trust after it’s been shattered. Perhaps an argument with your spouse or significant other got out of hand and became physical. Maybe this is the first time it ever happened—and maybe it resulted in your being arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. Whether or not you go to jail—and indeed whether or not you’re even charged with a crime—there is now a rift within your family. It can be difficult to know how to move forward.

Your relationship has likely changed forever, and the healing process will take time. And it’s not just about a broken relationship with your spouse or partner—domestic violence wounds everyone in the family who is connected to it, in one way or another. What steps can you take to begin repairing the relationship—and even more importantly, what can you do to prevent another domestic violence altercation from erupting in the future?

We’ll discuss some specific tips below, but for starters, know that the healing process for your relationship begins with a simple two-fold strategy:

Published on: March 19, 2018

Does Anger Management Work? A Look at the Science Behind It

by Michael Kraut

For many people who find themselves facing domestic violence charges, the problem doesn’t usually begin with the act of violence itself. For most, that catalyst is anger. The violence occurs as an end result of the person’s inability to control the angry emotions welling up inside.

If you’re convicted of a domestic violence charge in California, and sentenced to probation instead of jail, chances are you’ll also be required to attend a “batterer’s class” or some sort of anger management counseling as part of your sentence. But are anger management programs truly effective, and can they help reduce the chances of a repeat offense?

As with most issues, the answer to this question isn’t a clear “yes, it works” or “no, it doesn’t.” The effectiveness of any anger management course depends as much on the cooperation of the participant as it does the nature of the course itself. Modern psychology has recommended a variety of approaches to anger management; some have proven more fruitful than others, and experts now feel some traditional approaches have actually backfired.