Domestic violence as defined by the Illinois Department of Health, is "the violence that occurs when one person causes physical or psychological harm to a current or former intimate partner"(2005). Domestic violence is more then just a husband hitting his wife. Domestic violence, or intimate partner violence as it is also known, can include the children or other family members of the offender. Also, domestic violence is not limited to physical abuse, although that is the most violent and more likely to lead to the arrest of that individual. Domestic abuse can include psychological abuse as well as physical abuse and that can be just as harmful. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States and can have an especially negative effect on all family members, especially children (Illinois Department of Public Health[IDPH] 2005).

The public should be concerned about domestic violence because it promotes the idea that women are subordinate to men (Isaacs 2001 p.33). By understanding what domestic violence is the criminal justice system can better fulfill the needs of the victims and the perpetrators and help convey that this type of behavior is not to be condoned. Criminal justice personnel need to understand the signs of abuse, why its caused, and the ways that both victim and offender can be helped. They also need to work together to provide more helpful alternatives for offenders then just a sentence to a correctional facility. Knowing what programs are available in a given area is a helpful first step in providing better domestic violence treatment options for offenders and their families.

Traditional the police were reluctant to intervene in domestic violence disputes and rarely made an arrest in such offenses. This is because it was usually between married couples and a wife was that man's property to do with as they pleased. Police felt it was not their business and would walk away or just issue a warning. This all changed when an experiment was conducted to see what options worked the best to decrease the incident of domestic violence. This research resulted in many states adopting a mandatory arrest policy. This arrest allowed for traditional criminal sanctions to be assigned and domestic violence is now seen as a legitimate crime that is not tolerated as much as it was in the past.

Today the offender will be charged with domestic abuse and sentenced to probation and/or jail time. A treatment option may be assigned as well which can reduce the sentence or make it less severe. Other options include fines and electronic monitoring, which a form of house arrest. Since taking action against domestic violence may lead to retaliation against the victim, many of the sanctions used by the criminal justice system are not adequate to protect them (Erez, Ibarra, and Lurie 2004).

Because of this it is imperative to provide support for the victims and help them, if they decide that want to, escape the relationship safely. This idea has lead to better support services for victims and has also lead to the idea of having batterer intervention and treatment programs to help end the abuse. Today their isn't a big variety of treatment options for the batterer but hopefully that will increase as the public sees the need for a solution to domestic violence, and not a short-term delay (Erez et. al. 2004).

Most treatment options for the domestic violence offender are voluntary, but some are assigned by the courtroom in addition to a jail or prison sentence. These treatment options still hold the batterer accountable for their actions but help them break the cycle of violence. They may or may not decrease the sentence of the offender or lessen the severity of their offense. These programs are just another way for the offender to receive help to figure out that he/she has a problem that needs to be addressed. Court intervention cannot force an individual to participate, so those who refuse cannot will find themselves without the help they need in regards to their psychological problems. These interventions are seen favorably by the majority of criminal justice professionals and have seen some positive results (Payne 2002).

Although not common knowledge, some view the problems associated with domestic violence as being caused by a mental health issue (Isaacs 2001 p. 31). Something in the offenders' head isn't 'clicking'. If it is indeed a mental health issue it is even more imperative for that individual to receive some sort of help to correct their illogical thought patterns or behaviors. Many may have anger management issues. So just implementing a mandatory arrest policy or minimum sentence guidelines does not provide help to the offender and may cause further damage to the victims, although all types of family violence cases may be diverted from the criminal justice system in place of punishment (Payne 2002).

One treatment option is counseling. Counseling does not rule out the possibility of incarceration but moves beyond the idea that just a prison sentence by itself is enough to solve the problem of domestic violence behavior (Isaacs 2001 p. 31). Counseling helps to address the social aspect of these crimes; it emphasizes and promotes the wrongdoing of that particular action. It helps the individual involved to see for themselves that they are responsible for the choices that they make. It works toward a change in the individuals thinking and allows them to see the societal structures that helped them see that way (Isaacs 2001 p.36). It serves to determine the cause of the abuse so that measures can be taken to reduce the likelihood of repetition of the offense. Some underlying causes can be: substance abuse, strained finances, low self-esteem, or a combination of all of those and others. Counseling helps the individual get over denial, trust issues, and help to facilitate with communication, signs of relapse, and even relationship how-tos. This option has had mixed support due to some barriers involving trust. However, this may be overcome by involving the whole family in the counseling process (Payne 2002).

Family counseling can help stop the abuse by allowing the offender to take responsibility for their actions. It also helps to improve familial relationships and reestablish family roles. Some of this counseling is based on the learning theory. This assumes that all family members need to learn new rules of acceptable communication and behavior. Another theory that is used is a patriarchal theory which highlights how confined gender roles promote abuse (Payne 2002). The goal being, of course, is to reduce the likely-hood of further abuse.

An innovative option is lay therapy. It is used to try to relieve stresses to prevent family violence. Other options are education programs such as parenting, communication, and care giver classes. The goals of these programs are to challenge the belief systems and values held by both the offenders and their victims. Another option, home services, help the victim monitor the offender. They reduce the isolation felt by the families and watch for signs of relapse (Payne 2002). . .

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