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Current Status of Management for Domestic Violence Assailants

Shih-Chi Lin, M.D., M.S.1,2 Shiou-Ping Chen, M.S., Ph.D. candidate1 Feng-Ching Sun, M.S.3 Frank Huang-Chih Chou, M.D., M.S., Ph.D.1,2,4

Object: This study investigated the current status of treatment programs for domestic violence (DV) assailants in Taiwan. Method: Data were collected from sixty-three facilities using a questionnaire designed by the researchers. Results: Ninety-five percent of therapists treating DV assailants were psychiatric professionals, mainly social workers, doctors, and psychologists. Nearly 90% of facilities had standard protocols and appropriate therapy rooms for treating DV assailants. Sixty percent of these facilities reported attendance rates by assailants of over 75%; 57% reported a dropout rage lower than 25%, and 80% reported completion rates exceeding 50%. The main difficulties in treating DV assailants were: (1) denial and guarded attitudes on the part of DV assailants themselves, inability to pay for treatment, absences, disobedience of the therapeutic rules, and silence or refusal to talk; (2) shortage of personnel, increasing workloads, unwilling attitudes, and inadequate training among therapists. Conclusion: Although there were standard protocols for treating DV assailants in most facilities, treatment outcomes remained unsatisfactory. To resolve these difficulties, more personnel and more training are needed. In addition, classification of DV assailants may improve treatment outcomes and prevent waste of limited resources. (Full text in Chinese)
Key Word domestic violence, assailant, treatment outcome
Editorial Committe, Taiwanese Journal of Psychiatry
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