Should I take Domestic Violence Classes?

domestic violence classes

Maybe... Domestic Violence Classes are a valuable tool!

In breaking the cycle of domestic abuse, a domestic violence course can provide the information and tools needed to escape abuse or help others to escape.

Whether a family violence class addresses the abuser or the abused, these classes can teach ways to counter domestic violence and abuse by identifying causes of the abuse, offering techniques to diffuse an abusive situation, and empowering victims with self-defense training and legal resources.

What are the Types of Family Violence Classes...

Classes addressing domestic abuse are as varied as the instances of the abuse. For instance, the Battery Intervention Program in the video below focuses on prevention and does not include much anger management. Other classes may focus on addressing the psychological and emotionally disturbed abuser in order to gain control over the root causes of abuse. 

Instructors may be law enforcement officers, licensed counselors, members of the clergy, former victims of abuse, or simply volunteers. The classes could be online or with a group of individuals seeking to learn more about identifying and preventing domestic abuse. Sometimes, family abuse courses are even court-ordered in an effort to counsel an abuser’s tendency toward violence.

You should seek out the type of class and information that will be most relatable to you if several options are available. Regardless, a class like this will empower you to help others or yourself to overcome the cycle of domestic violence. 

A victim does not have to remain with a perpetrator even though the perp is willing to take a class. Instead, the victimized partner can easily find shelter in a confidential location and work with social workers or therapists to sort through the dynamic of the relationship and the problems in a safe environment.


Video Overview of a Battering Intervention and Prevention Program

What will a student learn?

Students studying domestic violence coursework may focus on identifying triggers of domestic abuse or on preparing a victim to leave an abusive situation. They may learn physical maneuvers to disarm an abuser or methods of rebuilding one’s confidence and relationships following abuse.

Despite the endless varieties of domestic violence education, the core message is the same: Knowledge is power. Victims of domestic abuse must know how to identify an abusive situation and extract themselves from the circumstances of abuse. Abusers must acknowledge the pain that they are inflicting and why, so they can alter their abusive behavior.

How will the domestic abuse classes measure success?

Every successful domestic violence class will have the same objective— imparting knowledge in order to break the cycle of abuse. True success is seeing yourself or a friend who lives in an abusive relationship find freedom and wholeness again through action.


Return from domestic violence classes to more domestic violence help...