Despite the widespread and devastating impact intimate partner violence continues to have on communities, responses to it—especially work with people who cause harm—have evolved little over the past few decades. Yet engaging people who have caused harm is a crucial part of supporting survivors, fostering healthy relationships, and ending violence in our communities.
In response to a need for more effective strategies, New York City implemented a comprehensive citywide approach to engaging people who cause harm, developing multiple programming options both within and outside the criminal legal system. This article outlines some of those programs—from our RISE Project to the work of our Red Hook Community Justice Center—and proposes several implications for practitioners in the field.
Note: This is the accepted manuscript of an article originally published in Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services. See:
Davis, B. R., Thomforde Hauser, R., Berhane, H., Johnson, G., Sethi, S., Hanson, B., Deane, D., & Betances, K. (2024). Building Multiple Pathways to Healing, Safety, and Accountability to Address Intimate Partner Violence. Families in Society, 105(3), 485-498. https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894241263620.