The Men's Group at St. Pius V Parish: A Case Study of a Voluntary Partner Abuse Intervention Program

Background/Purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) has major consequences for individuals, communities, and governments. Nearly 1 in 3 women in the United States have experienced physical assault and/or stalking by an intimate partner and even more have experienced psychological aggression. Commonly referred to as domestic violence, traditional intervention for perpetration usually only occurs after a criminalized act of violence leads to arrest, conviction, and court-mandated treatment. However, only 1% of men who commit IPV are arrested and convicted. Of those who enter court-mandated treatment, 50% dropout before completion.

A Catholic church in Chicago, IL is breaking the mold in reaching men who have perpetrated IPV. Since 2011, over 400 men have voluntarily sought help through “The Men’s Group” (TMG), a partner abuse intervention program (PAIP) housed in the overarching Hope Family Services program at St. Pius V parish. This qualitative study examined how TMG retains voluntary participants at such high rates without being court-mandated. Research questions were: How does TMG function? Why do participants join and remain engaged in TMG?

Methods: The goal of a case-study is to provide holistic description, thus multiple data sources (i.e. interviews, focus groups, observations) were used to inform findings. This study employed a community-engaged research approach, a process that unites community members and researchers in equal partnership to design/conduct research that is meaningful to the community. Focus groups consisting of new and senior participants (N=18) were convened and conducted in Spanish (language of TMG). Reported religious identity was 100% Catholic, ethnic identity was 100% Latino/Hispanic/Mexican, age range 33-48 (M=41, SD=6.08). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff/administration/clergy (N=4). For data analysis, an inductive approach was used to develop categories and subcategories through open-coding, a process that organizes data. To improve rigor, two team members independently coded data before consensus-coding. This was followed by axial-coding, a process that begins to “fit the pieces of the data puzzle together”. Central themes shedding light on the case were then identified, refined and used to inform the research questions.  

Results: The study revealed that TMG is a culturally-sensitive and spirituality-based PAIP with no “end” of treatment. Men identified a variety of motivations for voluntarily joining TMG, including fear of losing their partner/family due to their actions, desire to change for their children/self/others, and a drive to reach inner peace. Three primary themes emerged that shed light on why men remain engaged after joining TMG. These themes were centered on 1) Being met with dignity and respect (by staff); 2) Establishment of group members as “family”; and 3) Gaining benefits/learning from TMG.

Implications: Understanding the nature of a program with such unique engagement can offer insight into how social workers reach populations that perpetrate non-criminalized forms of abuse. There may be strategies from TMG that could be incorporated into other programs, thereby improving attendance and outcomes. More attention may be needed in training social workers in how to work with men who have acted abusively. Community-led interventions addressing IPV perpetration may have the potential to increase safety and prevent further abuse.