TITLE:
Recovery in Peer Support Groups for Batterers—A Qualitative Study
AUTHORS:
Angelique Vendrig-de Ron, Arno van Dam
KEYWORDS:
Domestic Violence, Batterers, Peer Support, Recovery, Aggression
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.15 No.3,
March
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: The effects of IPV treatment programs appear to be modest. A possible
explanation for the mediocre results may be that the problems for a subgroup of
batterers have a more chronic character. Chronic vulnerabilities require other
interventions, such as peer support and self-help groups. These interventions have the advantage that they enable more
identification between caregiver and client,
may take longer and are more flexible than regular care. Since 2015, several self-help groups for batterers based on the
12-step program were established in the Netherlands. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate to what extent the
peer support group contributes to personal recovery, based on the CHIME model, from the perspective of the
(former) participants of the peer support group. Aggression regulation problems are regarded by the participants as chronic conditions. Participation in the peer
support group increased their
ability to control their aggression, but also improved their quality of life. The recovery process described by the
participating batterers fits well with the concepts of the CHIME model. Batterer intervention programs may
therefore benefit from shifting to a recovery paradigm adopted from programs for chronic conditions.