by Martin Dufresne

About the author: Martin Dufresne is an adjunct professor in the department of criminology at the University of Ottawa in Canada and an internationally known researcher and writer in the area of domestic violence. He is also the secretary of Montreal Men Against Sexism.

Whether it’s called “therapy”, “treatment”, “counseling”, “education”, “intervention” or, non-committally, “programs”, we are seeing unsupported speculation about “what makes men hit”, and the overarching principle of supporting batterers rather than sanction them for their violence is sweeping the industrialized world. This diversion endeavor is achieved via so-called “batterers intervention programs” (BIPs), a low-cost, allegedly “moral” alternative to justice and security for women and to...