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7 Psych., Crime & L. 1 (2001)

handle is hein.journals/pcyceadl7 and id is 1 raw text is: Psvchology. Crime & Law, Vol. 7. pp. 1-23  02(0 I OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V.
Reprints available directly from the publisher            Published by license under
Photocopying permitted by license only       the Harwood Academic Publishers imprint,
part of the Gordon and Breach Publishing Group.
THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROJECT:
THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION
OF A TREATMENT PROGRAMME FOR
VIOLENT OFFENDERS
DEVON L. L. POLASCHEKa.* and BRIAN G. DIXONb
a School of Psychology Victoria University of Wellington
PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand;
b Department of Corrections Psychological Service
PO Box 5440, Dunedin, New Zealand
In 1987 the Violence Prevention Project began the development and implementation of a
community-based programme for Maaori and European violent offenders, based in Hamilton,
New Zealand. This paper outlines the programme's development over its first three years. We
describe the programme content, its staffing and management, and the processes used to train
staff and provide programme integrity. Following this we present an evaluation of pro-
gramme outcome. Evaluation methodology is outlined and data are presented both on inter-
mediate psychometric measures of participant change and reconviction for the first stage of
long-term follow-up. Finally, we discuss some of the implications of our findings for rehabil-
itation programmes with this group of offenders, and argue that, with the trend of escalating
incarceration for violent offenders, initiatives of this kind are an important part of
Corrections policy.
Key words: violent offenders; offender rehabilitation; psychological treatment; treatment
integrity; treatment outcome; cultural treatment factors.
A cursory look at history shows the enormity of suffering caused by
male violence; in the wars, rapes, tortures and beatings that men have
perpetrated on their fellow men, women, and children. Indeed, male
violence may even outrank disease and famine as the major source of
human suffering. There is much evidence that many forms of adult
pathology relate to a history of abuse, especially at the hands of men.
If one wanted to instigate one mental illness prevention program,
then targeting male violence would possibly be the single most sig-
nificant one. How to do it is the problem. (Gilbert, 1994, p. 352).
* Corresponding author. Tel.: + 64 + 4 + 463 --5768; Fax: +64+4 +463-5402;
E-mail: Devon.polaschek@vuw.ac.nz

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