Thus, the violent offences are committed both by people with a low level of anger self-control, and from this point of view the interventions are mainly aimed at achieving anger self-control and reducing the incidence of violent behaviour (Program of anger management; Program for reducing the violence), but also by people who consciously decide to use violence to achieve their goals.
The interventions combine cognitive components - cognitive restructuring of aggressive thinking patterns - with behavioural components - developing assertive anger expression and conflictual resolution skills.
These components aim both the management of aggression and the reduction of aggressive behaviour and violent offences through the development of cognitive and non-aggressive behavioural skills: skills to interpret and assess critical situations, learning techniques to identify and self-control of criminogenic factors, positive expression of anger and assertive behavioural expression of anger, development of consequential and alternative thinking.
The category of aggression reduction programs includes: The program for reducing aggression and Program for counselling family aggressors.
- Program for reducing aggression
The target group: minors and youth up to the age of 21, who are under the probation body record who have problems related to violence/aggression.
It is not required that the persons included be sanctioned for committing some violence-related offences.
It will not include people whose problems are based on a range of psychiatric pathologies, severe substance dependence,
The group program will include 7 to 12 persons under the supervision of the probation body.
The structure of the program: the program consists of 10 sessions of 60 minutes each.
- Program for counselling family aggressors
This program has been adapted to the context of the Republic of Moldova based on the DULUTH Model "Creating a process of change for men who abuse" and comes to help the probation counsellor with a conceptual framework and techniques guiding them in their communication work for a behavioural impact among family abusers.
The Program for counselling family aggressors has a general strategic goal of ensuring the protection and safety of women and children, maximizing the communication process for a behavioural impact for men, achieving a greater responsibility from the abusers and lower rates of recidivism.
The purpose of the program is to provide opportunities for people who commit abuse against other family members, to benefit from services that help them adopt and maintain a model of communication in the context of family relationships, with nonviolent behavioural impact.
The target group: adults who have committed violent offences.
The mentally sick people and those addicted to drugs or alcohol cannot be included in the program.
The stages of intervention:
The individual work stage is the first step of intervention, where counselling is carried out between the beneficiary and the counsellor.
The counsellor must have a non-discriminatory attitude, be caring, ready to help and know how to use the beneficiary's personal resources as effectively as possible.
The purpose of this stage: Knowing the beneficiary - personality type, character features, personal values and beliefs, strengths and weaknesses.
In the intervention stage, 5 sessions will be held:
- Establishing contact;
- Developing motivation to participate in the program;
- Evaluation of the beneficiary;
- Presentation of the results;
- Preparation for group work.
The group work stage is the intervention itself.
The purpose of the group intervention stage - forming the skills and abilities needed to the beneficiary to interact non-violently in the family.
The group work stage consists of 30 sessions of 2-2.5 hours each.
