Couples therapy is generally an inappropriate, ineffective and unsafe intervention activity with batterers. This option should always be in conjunction with, and secondary to, the man's involvement in an accountable batterer intervention service. Further, anger management theory suggests provocation, fails to account for premeditation, diffuses responsibility, implies that there is a quick fix, misrepresents the depth of the problem in the community and fully misses the link to the larger issue of sexism and patriarchy. Battering is illegal. Battering is a preventable crime.
Courts have sanctions available to impact domestic violence.
Batterers need to be held accountable for their choices. Intervention services for batterers must not be used as a substitute for arrest, conviction, probation, incarceration or other legal sanctions. Because all men benefit from the violent and controlling tactics of batterers, all men must work to end violence and to safeguard its victims. Family and couples intervention modalities for drug and alcohol problems are not appropriate, initially, for batterers. Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Al-Anon are not a suitable substitute for an accountable, competent batterer intervention service.