Psycho-social Treatment of Domestic Abusers as a Form of Prevention of Domestic Violence

Abstract

In the first part of the paper, the authors discuss the high rate and widespread incidence of domestic violence, drawing attention to the inadequacy of conventional measures of state action, embodied in initiating criminal proceedings against the perpetrator of domestic violence. Given the unreduced rate of domestic violence, these measures do not produce adequate results. In order to prevent future incidences of domestic violence, some states (such as the United States of America, Australia and Spain) have begun to apply a new model of psycho-social treatment of domestic abusers. In the past few years, the Republic of Serbia has instituted individual and group psycho-social treatments which carried out in social welfare centers. In the final part of the paper, the author gives some suggestions for improving the existing psycho-social programs in the social welfare centers in the Republic of Serbia.