Intimate partner violence: impact of a faith-based biopsychosocio-spiritual approach to intervention

Abstract

The dominant prevention programs for intimate partner violence are based on Duluth-type models, which attribute patriarchy as the root cause of abusive behavior. The gender paradigm has dominated criminal justice policy and the development of interventions for over four decades. The current study presents a novel theoretical framework grounded in the I-cubed metatheory, as well as evaluates the impact of a faith-based Relationship Violence Intervention Program. The research approach was mixed methods. The aim of the study was twofold. Firstly, to describe and explore factors that may influence partner abuse. Secondly, to evaluate an intervention that falls within the ambit of a biopsychosocio-spiritual approach. The short version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales was administered pre-posttest to assess the effect of the intervention. The sample consisted of a cohort of 35 respondents who were court-referred for assaulting their partners. The qualitative strand of the research revealed that a myriad of factors may contribute to intimate partner violence. The quantitative strand reflected an average reduction in the scores for depression, anxiety and stress, where the scores for depression and stress proved to be statistically significant pre-posttest. The findings suggest that a faith-based intervention has the potential to deter partner abuse.