Battering Intervention and Prevention Program

What is a Battering Intervention and Prevention Program (BIPP) ?

A BIPP is specialized group and individual counseling designed to hold perpetrators of domestic violence accountable for their behaviors and teach them how to make non-abusive choices. The primary focus of a BIPP is to increase victim safety and reduce battering .

Battering is a systematic pattern of using abusive behaviors (physical, sexual, verbal and emotional) that occurs over time. The goal is to control an intimate partner through fear.

Clients in a BIPP must:

• Acknowledge to the group and themselves that they, and they alone, are responsible for their violence and abuse and that using violence is a behavioral choice.
• Learn about the nature of domestic violence-its prevalence, causes and effects.
• Identify their abusive behaviors, not just physical and sexual violence, but threatening, coercive, and manipulative behaviors as well.
• Plan tangible steps to ensure their future non-violence by identifying nonviolent, non-abusive behaviors and practicing them during group sessions and with their partners.

Who is Appropriate for BIPP?

Any person who is abusive (physically, sexually, verbally and emotionally) towards an intimate partner (spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, dating relationship).

The abusive behaviors are targeted at the intimate partner. Battering of an intimate partner is not an anger management problem, as a batterer is not likely to be abusive towards any other person.

What is Anger Management?

Anger management is designed to teach people who have difficulty managing their anger the necessary tools/skills to help them express and manage their anger appropriately.

Anger management programs address topics such as:

• What is anger?
• Patterns of anger responses
• Assertive versus aggressive behaviors
• Tools for appropriate anger expression

Who is Appropriate for Anger Management?

Any person who inappropriately expresses anger at everyone. Their behaviors are generalized. The victim can be anyone (supervisor, co-worker, friend, family and stranger). A person with an anger management problem does not have the tool/skills to manage anger and therefore is likely to lash out an any person towards whom they are angry.