Dallas women, you live in Texas’ most dangerous county.
Per capita, Dallas County reported the highest number of women killed by an intimate partner in 2013.
The toll is down so far this year — but not nearly enough, which is why this newspaper continues to seek solutions to stop the violence that women, children and, in some cases, men endure daily at the hands of so-called loved ones.
Dallas Morning News writers Diane Jennings and Sarah Mervosh are responsible for much fine reporting on this subject. Most recently, they drilled into research on abusers who attend anti-battering classes vs. those who only do jail time.
No ironclad evidence exists to prove that intervention and prevention classes are the miracle cure for domestic violence. But treatment can make a difference — and the judicial system would be smart to require this rehab of as many offenders as possible.
A new study by the University of Texas at Dallas found that Dallas County abusers who were sent to the classes were less likely to commit another act of domestic violence than those sentenced only to time in a cell.
The 2,000-plus misdemeanor cases the UTD team analyzed involved first-time offenders and less-violent crimes. The rehab-over-jail approach seems particularly effective here: Catch the problem — and work to correct it — before behavior is ingrained in the psyche.
Instruction starts with educating the culprit on what actually constitutes abuse as well as the basics of leading a nonviolent life.
That might sound way too elementary to many readers, but remember that the destructive behavior usually grows insidiously — impatience and harsh teasing turn into name calling and cold shouldering, then into denigrating emotional abuse. At some point, the blows turn physical.
Successful anti-abuse education also must persuade the class that violence is a choice. Why would you punch a spouse in anger when you’d never think of cutting loose on your boss or cable guy?
The best way to accept lessons like these is shoulder-to-shoulder with other abusers. Accountability within the group and a commitment to check in with one another over the long haul are key.
Support for anti-battering education doesn’t mean kicking the judicial system out of the picture. Classes work only if partnered with the courts and law enforcement.
And they work only if built on honesty. It’s not so frightening these days to stand up and say you have a drug, alcohol or sex addiction. Society is ready to give you another chance. But stand up and say you struggle with hitting your significant other? Not so much.
If intervention and prevention programs can help individuals gain the courage to do that — and change — the judicial system needs to let them be a bigger part of the solution. The women of Dallas County — and all those men who care about them — deserve no less.
Intervention classes
“For most of the guys who can stick it out, I know they learn something. … Start to face why you do it, and you’ll be a better man when you get out.”
Dallas County Judge Roberto Cañas, who oversaw the more than 2,000 misdemeanor family violence cases evaluated in the UTD study on effectiveness of intervention classes
Intervention classes
Class content: Accountability for abusive behavior and lessons on the basics of leading a nonviolent life.
Who attends: Most are ordered by the court to attend; individuals may self-refer.
Time involved: 90 minutes a week; most classes in North Texas last 24 weeks.
Cost: About $25 a session.
