Batterer Intervention Programs (BIPs): History of Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence Rights in the United States and New York State

What is a Batterer Intervention Program (BIP)?

A Batterer Intervention Program (BIP) is a structured, educational, and behavioral change program designed for individuals who have used abuse, violence, coercive control, or other forms of intimate partner abuse. Unlike traditional psychotherapy, a BIP is not designed primarily to treat mental illness or trauma. Instead, its primary purpose is to increase accountability, reduce abusive behaviors, improve victim safety, and help participants develop healthy, respectful relationship skills.

Most participants enter BIPs because they have been:

Ordered by a criminal or family court;
Referred by probation or parole;
Required by child protective services;
Referred during custody proceedings; or
Voluntarily seeking to change abusive behaviors.

Modern BIPs recognize that domestic violence is not simply an anger problem. While anger may be present, research has consistently demonstrated that most intimate partner violence (IPV) is rooted in patterns of power, control, entitlement, coercion, intimidation, and learned beliefs about relationships.

Effective BIPs typically address:

Accountability and personal responsibility
Coercive control
Emotional, psychological, sexual, physical, and financial abuse
Healthy communication
Emotional regulation
Empathy development
Gender socialization and relationship expectations
Parenting after violence
Trauma-informed behavioral change
Relapse prevention and long-term accountability

Today’s best practice models also incorporate:

Motivational Interviewing
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Trauma-informed care
Somatic regulation
Restorative and culturally responsive practices when appropriate

The overall goal is not simply to stop physical violence, but to end all patterns of abusive and controlling behavior while increasing survivor safety.

A Brief History of Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence Rights

For much of history, violence within families was viewed as a private matter rather than a public safety or human rights issue. Under English common law, which heavily influenced American law, husbands held significant legal authority over their wives and children. Domestic violence was rarely prosecuted, and survivors had few legal protections.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the Women’s Rights Movement helped transform public understanding of domestic violence. Survivors and advocates challenged the belief that abuse was a “family matter” and instead framed it as a violation of basic human rights.

Grassroots activists established some of the nation’s first domestic violence shelters, crisis hotlines, and legal advocacy organizations. These efforts laid the foundation for modern domestic violence legislation.

Researchers also began documenting the significant physical, emotional, developmental, and economic impacts of intimate partner violence on adults and children. Domestic violence increasingly came to be recognized as both a criminal justice issue and a major public health concern.

Major Federal Domestic Violence Legislation

1974 — Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) One of the earliest federal responses was the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, which provided funding for emergency shelters, crisis hotlines, advocacy programs, prevention efforts, and training. FVPSA remains the primary federal funding source for domestic violence shelters today.
1984 — Mandatory Arrest and Pro-Arrest Policies Research during the early 1980s, including the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment, influenced many states to adopt stronger arrest policies. Police agencies increasingly shifted from treating domestic violence as a “civil dispute” to recognizing it as a criminal offense requiring intervention. Although later research demonstrated that mandatory arrest does not reduce violence in every circumstance, these reforms represented a major cultural shift toward offender accountability.
1994 — Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) fundamentally changed the national response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. It established major federal funding streams for victim services, improved criminal justice responses, promoted coordinated community responses, enhanced training for judges and law enforcement, and required interstate recognition of protection orders. Since its enactment, VAWA has been reauthorized several times to expand protections for underserved populations, including Native American communities, LGBTQ+ survivors, immigrants, and individuals with disabilities.

Federal Firearm Restrictions

Federal law now prohibits many individuals convicted of qualifying domestic violence offenses or subject to qualifying protection orders from possessing firearms, reflecting strong evidence that firearm access significantly increases the risk of intimate partner homicide.

Development of Batterer Intervention Programs

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, courts began searching for alternatives to incarceration that could reduce repeat violence.

Programs such as:

EMERGE (Boston)
The Duluth Model (Minnesota)
AMEND (Colorado)

became national models.

The Duluth Model emphasized that domestic violence is often maintained through systems of power and control rather than loss of emotional control. Although modern programs have expanded beyond the original model to include trauma-informed and evidence-based practices, the Duluth Model continues to influence many state standards.

New York State Domestic Violence History

New York has long been considered a national leader in domestic violence legislation and victim protection.

1994 — Family Protection and Domestic Violence Intervention Act This landmark legislation transformed New York’s response by strengthening coordination between Family Court, Criminal Court, law enforcement, probation, and victim service agencies. It expanded police authority, improved access to Orders of Protection, enhanced information sharing, and ultimately led to the creation and expansion of the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV).
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) New York established the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) as the nation’s only cabinet-level executive agency dedicated exclusively to domestic violence policy. OPDV coordinates statewide prevention initiatives, develops policy, provides professional training, and supports victim service providers across New York.

Orders of Protection

New York significantly expanded the availability and enforcement of Orders of Protection.

Orders may require an abusive individual to:

Have no contact with the protected person;
Stay away from home, work, or school;
Surrender firearms where required;
Follow custody and visitation provisions;
Refrain from harassment, threats, stalking, or assault.

Orders may be issued through Family Court, Criminal Court, or Supreme Court, depending on the circumstances. New York also maintains a statewide computerized registry of protection orders to support enforcement.

Recognition of Coercive Control

Over the past decade, New York has increasingly recognized that abuse extends beyond physical violence. Courts, practitioners, and policymakers now acknowledge coercive control, including intimidation, isolation, surveillance, financial abuse, and threats, as critical factors in assessing victim safety and family court decisions.

Firearm Restrictions

New York has enacted some of the nation’s strongest firearm surrender requirements for individuals subject to certain domestic violence protection orders or convictions, reflecting evidence that limiting firearm access reduces the risk of lethal violence.

Melanie’s Law

In 2024, New York enacted Melanie’s Law, expanding Orders of Protection so courts can protect all family members of a domestic violence victim, regardless of age, closing a gap that previously limited protections for many adult family members.

Emerging Reforms: Kyra’s Law

In 2026, the New York enacted Kyra’s Law, which requires judges to more fully consider domestic violence, coercive control, child abuse, threats, and related risk factors when making custody determinations and mandates additional judicial training.