Father-Focused Programs for Reducing Domestic Violence

(F4C Trial)

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Carla S Stover, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Yale University

Disqualifiers: Protective order, Substance addiction, Cognitive impairment, Psychotic disorder, Suicidal ideation, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 21

Duration: 18 weeks

1080 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores two programs aimed at reducing domestic violence, specifically for fathers with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV). One group will participate in Fathers for Change, which focuses on improving emotional understanding and parenting skills. The other group will try the standard Duluth Batterer Intervention Program (Duluth BIP). Researchers aim to determine which program more effectively reduces family violence and improves children's mental health. Fathers who have recently experienced an IPV incident and have contact with a child aged 6 months to 12 years might be suitable for this study. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to important research that could enhance family dynamics and children's well-being.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you have a physiological addiction to a substance that requires detoxification, you will need to complete a detox program before participating.

What prior data suggests that these programs are safe for participants?

Research has shown that both the Duluth Batterer Intervention Program (BIP) and Fathers for Change (F4C) are generally safe for participants. Studies on the Duluth BIP indicate that it is an educational program focused on reducing domestic violence. It includes activities like role-playing and watching videos to teach anger management, which are well-tolerated and pose minimal risk of harm.

Fathers for Change is a therapy program that helps fathers understand their emotions and how these affect their actions. Early findings suggest it is safe and aims to reduce violence and child abuse. Both programs are designed to help participants improve their behavior without causing harm. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these programs for reducing domestic violence because they offer unique approaches to intervention. The Duluth BIP focuses on educating participants about the impact of violence, power dynamics, and societal influences, using experiential exercises like video vignettes and role plays to teach anger management skills. On the other hand, Fathers for Change centers on the father's role, fostering self-awareness and emotion regulation to reduce intimate partner violence and child maltreatment. This program highlights understanding emotional experiences and their effects on thoughts and behaviors towards partners and children. These innovative strategies aim to engage participants more deeply and address the root causes of violence, distinguishing them from traditional methods.

What evidence suggests that this trial's programs could be effective in reducing domestic violence?

This trial will compare two programs designed to reduce domestic violence: the Duluth Batterer Intervention Program (BIP) and Fathers for Change (F4C). Studies have shown that the Duluth BIP can improve outcomes for men who complete it, resulting in fewer violent and non-violent charges. The program teaches anger management skills and helps participants understand the impact of their violence on victims. In contrast, Fathers for Change (F4C) specifically assists fathers with a history of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) by focusing on their roles as fathers. Research indicates that F4C reduces IPV and child abuse by helping fathers better understand their emotions and how these emotions influence their actions. Both programs aim to reduce violence but employ different methods to achieve this goal. Participants in this trial will be assigned to one of these two programs to evaluate their effectiveness. ^{1 3 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Carla S Stover, PhD

Principal Investigator

Yale University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for fathers with a history of intimate partner violence who have at least one child aged 6 months to 12 years. They must be involved in or recently investigated by CT DCF, agree to involve the child's mother as an informant, and be able to complete assessments in English. Fathers with active protective orders against their children, severe substance addiction needing detoxification, significant cognitive impairment, untreated psychotic disorders, or current suicidal/homicidal thoughts are excluded.

Inclusion Criteria

Are able to complete assessments in English

Have a currently open or recently investigated (in the last 6 months) case with CT DCF

Agree to have their female coparents (mother of target child) contacted as collateral informants and for consent for participation of their child. If a participant has more than one child in the age range, the youngest will be selected

Exclusion Criteria

I have a psychotic disorder that is not being treated.

Physiological addiction to a substance that requires detoxification. Fathers will be evaluated using the Drug Abuse Screening Test and AUDIT. If fathers report significant difficulties with physiological withdrawal (e.g., alcohol tremors or dope sickness) they will be referred for detox services. They can be re-evaluated following a detox program with documentation from the detox center of successful completion and clean urine screen

Previously participated in F4C or a BIP.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive either Fathers for Change (F4C) or Duluth BIP intervention in weekly 60-minute sessions

18 weeks

18 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in family violence, child mental health, and father-child interactions

52 weeks

3 visits (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Duluth BIP
• Fathers for Change

Trial Overview

The study compares 'Fathers for Change' (F4C) with standard Batterer Intervention Programs (BIP) to see which is better at reducing family violence and improving children's mental health. It will also examine how changes occur over time and if improvements in fathers' emotional regulation affect the outcomes for their children.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Fathers for Change Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Defining features of F4C include: 1) focus on the fathering role to facilitate engagement, 2) focus on RF to understand self, partner and children and emotion regulation skills to reduce IPV and child maltreatment. F4C focuses on understanding of emotional experiences, how they impact thinking and behaviors related to partners, co-parents and children. F4C clients will meet individually with their F4C therapist for 60 minutes per week over 18 weeks.

Group II: Duluth BIP Active Control 1 Intervention

The BIP is a psychoeducational intervention that will be delivered in 60- minute individual weekly sessions over 18 weeks. The intervention focuses on the impact of violence on victims, power and control tactics, and societal influences supporting men's violence toward women. The intervention includes didactics and experiential exercises including video vignettes and role plays to teach anger management skills.

Duluth BIP is already approved in United States, Canada, European Union for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Duluth BIP for:

• Intimate Partner Violence
• Domestic Violence

Approved in Canada as Duluth Model for:

• Intimate Partner Violence
• Domestic Violence

Approved in European Union as Batterer Intervention Program for:

• Intimate Partner Violence
• Domestic Violence

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Yale University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,963

Recruited

3,046,000+

University of Delaware

Collaborator

Trials

167

Recruited

25,700+

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Collaborator

Trials

2,103

Recruited

2,760,000+

University of Connecticut

Collaborator

Trials

194

Recruited

162,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The intervention 'Fathers for Change' is designed specifically for fathers who are involved in intimate partner violence (IPV) and also struggle with substance abuse, addressing the unique challenges they face in parenting.

This program emphasizes the importance of the paternal role in treatment, filling a significant gap in current interventions that often overlook fathers' responsibilities and needs in the context of IPV and parenting.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fathers for change: a new approach to working with fathers who perpetrate intimate partner violence. Stover, CS.[2021]

The study involved qualitative interviews with 27 individuals from 17 fatherhood and domestic violence organizations, revealing various partnership activities aimed at preventing and addressing domestic violence, such as training sessions and referral facilitation.

Key strategies for successful partnerships were identified, along with areas needing improvement, highlighting the importance of collaboration between fatherhood programs and domestic violence organizations to effectively engage fathers in addressing domestic violence.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Examining Partnership Approaches for Engaging Fathers to Address Domestic Violence. Parekh, J., Kim, L., Karberg, E., et al.[2022]

The study involved 686 low-income fathers participating in a responsible fatherhood program, highlighting the importance of understanding their views on family violence to improve child and family outcomes.

By identifying risk and protective factors related to fathers' approval of family violence, the research aims to inform programs that promote responsible fatherhood and healthy relationships, ultimately preventing intimate partner violence.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Risk and Protective Factors for Family Violence among Low-Income Fathers: Implications for Violence Prevention and Fatherhood Programs. Hayward, RA., Honegger, L., Hammock, AC.[2019]

The Fathers for Change (F4C) intervention significantly reduces the likelihood of repeat child maltreatment reports among families referred to child protective services (CPS), with F4C fathers being 2.4 times less likely to have new reports compared to control fathers over a 12-month period.

Using propensity score matching to create a balanced comparison group, the study suggests that improving emotion regulation and reflective functioning in fathers can effectively address intimate partner violence (IPV) and its impact on children's safety and well-being.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reducing Family Violence Through Child Welfare Intervention: A Propensity Score-Matched Study of Fathers for Change. Beebe, R., Fish, MC., Grasso, D., et al.[2023]

A study involving 44 fathers in a substance use disorder treatment program showed that incorporating a fatherhood-focused intervention significantly reduced anger-related thoughts and emotion regulation problems after the program.

The intervention, called Fathers for Change, had a high completion rate of 84.1% among participants, indicating strong feasibility and satisfaction with the program's content.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Integrating intimate partner violence and parenting intervention into residential substance use disorder treatment for fathers. Stover, CS., Carlson, M., Patel, S.[2019]

The Fathers for Change intervention, involving 18 fathers with both Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and substance abuse issues, led to higher treatment completion rates and greater satisfaction compared to Individual Drug Counseling.

Participants in the Fathers for Change group showed a trend toward reduced IPV and significantly less intrusive behavior during play with their children after the 16-week program, suggesting potential benefits for both fathers and their parenting.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fathers for Change for Substance Use and Intimate Partner Violence: Initial Community Pilot. Stover, CS.[2023]

In a study involving 62 fathers in residential substance misuse treatment, the Fathers for Change (F4C) program, which integrates treatment for intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment, led to significantly greater reductions in affect dysregulation compared to the Dads 'n' Kids (DNK) program.

Both interventions resulted in decreased anger and IPV, but F4C participants showed a potential lower likelihood of substance use relapse after treatment, highlighting the benefits of integrating fatherhood-focused interventions in substance misuse programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized pilot trial of two parenting interventions for fathers in residential substance use disorder treatment. Stover, CS., McMahon, TJ., Moore, K.[2023]

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