Supervision of the domestic violence offender: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence differs considerably from other forms of violence, given the relationship between the offender and the victim. Domestic violence therefore presents several complications for effective probation supervision. Lack of adequate supervision and treatment of Domestic Violence Offenders (DVOs) can result in continued victimization, or worse, a fatality. Moreover, evidence concerning the effectiveness of DVO supervision is of little use without understanding how probation officers supervise offenders and implement strategies. This research explores the extent of probation officers’ (POs) knowledge about the Model for Domestic Violence Intervention and Supervision for Pennsylvania County Adult Probation and Parole Departments, their use of that knowledge, and predictors of effective DVO supervision. Our main findings indicate that (a) although most POs were often unaware of the PCADV Model per se, a considerable number of them used the techniques that are detailed in the Model to supervise DVOs on their caseload; and (b) POs do require specialized skills to effectively work with DVOs. An unexpected finding of this study was the impact of a POs gender on DVO supervision.