Responding to intimate partner sexual violence: need for better perpetrator interventions

In Australia, like the U.S., there is a tendency to separate interventions for sexual violence and domestic violence. Few studies have examined how domestic violence perpetrator interventions, such as Batterer Intervention Programs (BIPs) address sexual violence. This knowledge gap is significant, given that BIPs are heavily relied upon as a response to domestic violence perpetration and that sexual violence is more likely to be perpetrated by intimate partners alongside other forms of domestic abuse. To address this gap, the author conducted a survey of practitioners’ working in Australia to explore current practice and professional views regarding engagement of IPSV in domestic violence perpetrator interventions. The study findings illustrate gaps in current practice and the need for focused attention on IPSV as part of efforts to address all forms of domestic violence.