Domestic violence is defined as a crime that is committed by one intimate partner on the other that involves a means of coercion, punishment, intimidation, revenge or control. In most states, if one partner calls the police, they generally will send a peace officer to the location and the suspect will be arrested and taken to jail. First time charges are usually considered misdemeanors but if there is repeat abuse, the suspect can receive felony charges. A domestic violence charge will immediately affect your freedom to possess a gun. In fact, federal law mandates that anyone who has been convicted of a domestic violence charge can no longer possess a firearm.
If you are a perpetrator of domestic violence and have been convicted of this crime, the judge must order a treatment evaluation and program. In the state of Colorado, most misdemeanor cases are required to attend at least 36 hours of domestic violence courses. A domestic violence charge is serious and the goal of taking this number of hours in education is to teach offenders how to stop the cycle of their violence.
A typical domestic violence class will include information about what exactly domestic abuse entails, recognizing and overcoming the triggers of the behavior, and developing a plan for sustained change. Classes also address issues about the victims like why they stay with their abusers, developing and maintaining a safety plan and what to do when the environment gets unstable and unsafe. Participants can expect to walk away with a host of new skills including how to better communicate and listen to loved ones and how to more positively affect change. Perpetrators will learn how their behavior is negatively affecting everyone in the family, how to develop empathy for their victims and open up their eyes to the world they are creating.
With the popularity and advancement in technology, online domestic violence classes continue to grow. If you have been court ordered to take a 36-hour or week domestic violence class, ask your judge, probation officer or attorney if you can take the program online. These classes are available from your Smartphone, Ipad, PC or laptop and can be taken from any of the 50 states. This gives you the freedom to fulfill the court order while you are on the road traveling for business, from your desk at work during your lunch hour or late at night after everyone has gone to sleep in the comfort of your own home.
The beauty of online dv classes is that they are completely self-paced. You can login and out whenever you have free time so you don’t need to worry about making a once a week pre-scheduled traditional class. The computer program holds your last spot so when you log back in you simply continue from where you left off. If you are in a time crunch to get the 36 hours completed by a looming deadline, you can clear your schedule and take the class over a long weekend if necessary.
Participants can print out a proof of enrollment immediately upon registration, and can receive progress reports along the way. At the end of the class a final exam is issued. With a 70% or better, a certificate of completion will be mailed out to you. This is the official paperwork that you need to show the judge that the requirement was successfully completed.
Life is busy enough. Take an online dv class to fulfill your court requirements and you will be satisfied with the privacy, educational information and convenience you receive!
