Domestic violence is a serious and widespread human rights issue. One out of every three women worldwide will be abused physically, emotionally or sexually during her lifetime. The consequences of abuse on women are debilitating and often stay with the victim her entire life. It’s a vicious cycle that not only affects the victim, but has negative repercussions on the children as well. The only way to truly stop the abuse is to change the attitudes of offenders so they understand the harm they are causing. To address this issue in the U.S., judges often mandate that perpetrators of domestic violence take a batterer’s intervention or domestic violence class.
Classes help victims and offenders to understand what domestic violence entails, what triggers the abuse, and how to recognize the signs of domestic violence. The ultimate goal of the class is reduce the violence and break the cycle by teaching perpetrators skills to stop the behavior. This includes how to effectively communicate feelings without becoming angry, violent or controlling; how to develop empathy towards others; and how to better manage stress. Participants will also learn why victims stay in these relationships and the legal issues they will run into if the behavior continues.
To satisfy court requirements, many individuals have successfully completed mandated domestic violence classes online. Online classes have many benefits:
1) Take the class from home.
Clients can take an online DV class from any Internet based computer device in the comfort of their home.
2) Self-paced.
Online classes can be taken on your own schedule, not someone else’s. There is no predetermined timeline so you can take the class whenever you have free time. This means busy people don’t have to miss work or school, but can login at night or on the weekends.
3) Clients can finish requirement more quickly.
Online DV classes are available from anywhere in the U.S. in 8, 12, 16, 26, 36 and 52-hour segments. An in-person dv class will usually require that you come to a traditional classroom for 1 hour a week. This means a 36-hour DV class would take you 36 weeks to get through. In contrast, clients can sit down and take online classes for as long as they would like to devote. So, a client could potentially finish a 36-hour class over a few weeks if they need to meet a court deadline.
4) Certificate of Completion.
All classes come with proof of enrollment, progress reports and a free certificate of completion once the class has been successfully finished. These are the documents clients need to present to the court system to prove they are taking the class.
Online classes are an educational and interesting way to fulfill domestic violence requirements. Look for a program that is designed by a currently licensed and practicing therapist and has an A+ rating from the BBB to insure that you are getting the most trusted and reliable information. Prior to taking the class, clients should check first with their legal system to make sure that distance learning classes are acceptable. Sometimes printing out the homepage and course content to show to the judge will help sway his decision in your favor. Online classes will definitely provide you with the most convenient and effective way to fulfill this court requirement.
