Conjoint treatment for intimate partner violence: A systematic review and implications.
Gender specific men only interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) have had limited success beyond the effects of arrest alone. This review outlines current U.S. state mandated treatments for IPV, acknowledges how conjoint treatment may better address a subtype of IPV that is not motivated by power and control, examines and reviews previously conducted couples based treatments, and highlights policy implications and future directions. Empirical findings and theoretical support for the Duluth model, cognitive behavioral approaches, and IPV typologies are presented, followed by a systematic review of selected quasi and true experimental studies on couples based approaches for IPV. U.S. state guidelines that absolutely exclude conjoint approaches are overly restrictive, considering the poor evidence of effectiveness for current gender specific groups. Further, the theoretical foundations of most men only groups assume unilateral, male to female violence, which does not fit at least one third of court involved cases and leaves treatment needs of couples experiencing problematic relationship dynamics unmet. For a carefully screened subset of couples that experience predominantly "situational violence," conjoint communication and relationship skills training groups may be a viable alternative to the Duluth model and cognitive behavioral men only groups. Language: en