The Partner Abuse Short Term, PAST, group program, an intervention for men who batter

Abstract

The Partner Abuse Short Term (PAST) program, revised in 1995, is a psycho-educational group treatment program for men who have been charged and convicted of a domestic violence crime. In the practicum, two 12-session closed groups were facilitated with male and female co-facilitators applying the PAST program material in groups for men on probation for domestic violence crimes in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Fourteen of the 25 men who started the groups completed all twelve sessions. They reported that the most valuable part of the program was teaching them about the "warning signs" that they are escalating towards violence and how to use "time-outs" as a means to avoid a violent episode. They also reported that while physical abuse towards their partners decreased during treatment, the incidence of emotional and psychological abuse increased during the same period. The practicum concludes that further research into the effectiveness of short-term treatment for batterers is required.