Domestic violence reforms urged

Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Many of the laws and programs that seek to curb domestic violence do not work and need to be reformed, according to a report released Monday.

"For too long, victims of abuse have been revictimized by a system that ignores their wishes, escalates partner conflict and fails to effectively treat their abusers," said Elizabeth Crawford, spokeswoman for Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting.

The report, titled "Why Have Domestic Violence Programs Failed to Stop Partner Abuse?" was compiled by the Maryland- based nonprofit, which seeks to increase the effectiveness of the nation's approach to solving domestic violence.

The study's conclusions confirm many of the findings of the 2005 Rocky Mountain News series "Battered Justice." The series found that more women are being arrested for domestic violence, that prosecutions without the victim's consent minimize the role of the victim and that court-ordered treatment for batterers is often ineffective.

Among other things, the RADAR report found that:

• Treatment programs for abusers are ineffective.

• Restraining orders do not prevent future violence.

• Mandatory arrest of abusers often place the victims in greater risk for future violence.

The study seeks to offer arguments to reform the Violence Against Women Act of 2000, which is up for renewal in 2010.

"The laws are really designed to break up families and marriages," said Dr. Charles Corry, president of the Equal Justice Foundation in Colorado Springs, one of the contributors to the RADAR report.

"The current laws do not work," he said. "In many cases, it just makes the situation worse."

The RADAR report also found that too few services are available for female abusers or male victims and that treatment programs for male abusers are ineffective because there is a dropout rate of 80 percent.