Ending the Concept of "Treatment" in Batterer Programs:
A Social Change Perspective

Phyllis B. Frank, VCS Community Change Project, New York / Gwen Wright, VCS Community Change Project, New York / Anthony Porter, Director of Addiction Services, Nyack Hospital / Ted Bunch, VCS Community Change Project, New York

The movement to end violence against women has taught us that domestic violence is a manifestation of sexism, rooted deeply in history and culture. As such, it is not an issue of specific offenders who have particular backgrounds, psychological disorders or stressors. It is an outgrowth of centuries of patriarchal privilege that has defined men's relationship to women in terms of ownership and entitlement. It is widely accepted that ending domestic violence will require substantial and comprehensive social change.
 
Batterer programs were originally designed to treat individual offenders. With the support of the NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, batterer programs in New York have been reviewed, revised and updated - ending the concept of treatment for battering and redefining a safe and legitimate place for batterer programs in a social change effort.