baavlogo1.gif (6072 bytes)
Home
About BAAV
Ideas
Programs
Dom. Violence
Contact
Current research has revealed that "Specialized batterers intervention programs will reduce assailant's violence 30 - 40% of the time ONLY when accompanied by consistent, across the board, no exceptions, criminal justice sanctions.  In other words, if the assailant re-assaults, or leaves counseling, he is jailed.  Consistent arrests, successful prosecution, conviction and enforced counseling WILL reduce domestic homicides."  Furthermore, the research revealed that, ".....only a small number of communities across the country have adopted this model.

Berks Advocates Against Violence is the only agency in Berks County that provides counseling, education and training for men who batter.  In fact, Berks Advocates Against Violence is among that small number of (agencies) within communities across the country which adopted a best practice model consisting of component/elements proven to be effective for preventing violence/battering among males.

We are confident that, if realized, our ideas will reduce and eventually eliminate battering behaviors among the residents of the city of Reading and the surrounding communities within Berks County.  Moreover, we believe that these ideas can help to create Reading and Berks County as a place in Pennsylvania and the Nation where violence in homes, violence in neighborhoods, violence in communities and violence in schools does not occur.  Berks Advocates Against Violence have ideas or solutions that will give recognition to Reading and Berks County as a model city/county for reducing and eliminating violence.

However, before we discuss the ideas in detail, it is important for the reader to understand some of the concerns identified by Berks Advocates Against Violence as existing conditions or factors which obstruct change efforts to reduce incidents of violence/battering behaviors in Reading and Berks County.  We have highlighted below a few of those concerns.

In 1997, 1,563 Protection from Abuse orders were filed in Berks County against men however, there is no record of how many of those men were court-ordered to the batterers' program and no way to follow-up on whether or not these individuals complied with their court orders.

In 1997 Berks Advocates Against Violence saw twenty-five new men. Seven of those twenty-five new referrals were either court-ordered or stipulated by some other agency, such as Berks County Office of Children in Youth, to participate in counseling and other programs provided by Berks Advocates Against Violence.

Currently, there is no agency nor mechanism in Berks County to identify just how many men were court-ordered and what happened to the men who did not comply with the court orders.  It is difficult to tell where these men are, if they are offending same partners or new partners or if they are committing different types of offenses.

Because the agencies within the city of Reading and the surrounding communities within Berks County are not connected to the criminal system one hand does not seem to know what the other hand is doing.  Sadly, this situation creates an advantage for the perpetrator because it allows the perpetrator to NOT be held accountable or responsible to anyone making it easier for him to re-offend.  Not knowing where these men go once they are in the system makes it unsafe for their victims while putting a greater burden on the criminal system to protect her and the children.  It allows the offender to fall between the cracks (within the system), and not have to be responsible or accountable for his actions.

As mentioned above Berks Advocates Against Violence is among that small number of (agencies) within communities across the country which has adopted a best practice model consisting of components/elements proven to be effective for reducing violence/battering among males in a community.  The staff of Berks Advocates Against Violence has been providing local and county-wide programs and services for the past five years to residents of Reading and Berks County and has proven its effectiveness for preventing and reducing violent/battering behaviors among young teens and adult males.   (Berks Advocates Against Violence is now in the process of aggregating its data related direct and indirect service provision). Additionally, individual residents of Reading and Berks County coupled with community agency and legal system personnel will attest to the need for the types of programs, services and initiatives developed and implemented by Berks Advocates Against Violence.

Mindful of that, we are listing below some of the ideas or solutions which Berks Advocates Against Violence are proposing as solutions for addressing some of the existing conditions and factors which obstruct change efforts to reduce violence/battering among the residents of Reading and Berks County.

Berks Advocates Against Violence proposes to:

  • Begin to reduce domestic violence assaults by shifting from individual behavior to community action
  • Promote changes with cultural beliefs that glorify violence and support contempt and hatred for women.
  • Work to encourage that the entire community become engaged in domestic violence prevention in order for change efforts to be effective
  • Foster the notion that all community institutions formulated policies and practices that support the survivor in safely leaving, provide help and non-violent role models for the children and hold assailants accountable for their behavior.

500 Buttonwood Street
Reading, PA  19601
Telephone:  610-736-3693
Fax:  610-736-3694