In the wake of the recent pandemic, many states have reported a surge in intimate partner violence and other forms of domestic violence. Law enforcement agencies are responding to more family violence calls, and courts and community corrections agencies are processing more domestic violence offenders than before. Domestic batterer motives and methods of offending differ in many ways from that of other types of violent or property offenders. Having a clearer understanding of how these offenders think and behave can increase public safety, increase convictions, and decrease future offending through proper treatment and supervision options.
This webinar is designed for law enforcement officers, prosecuting attorneys, and community corrections professionals who deal with domestic violence offenders. This webinar course will introduce attendees to the psychological and criminological research on domestic batterer typologies, the different factors influencing each batterer type’s behavior, and how each batterer responds differently to arrest and treatment. It will address the flawed thinking patterns of all four batterer types and examine the continuum of control behaviors batterers apply to control their victims. This information will prove useful for criminal investigations, prosecutions, community supervision, and treatment involving domestic batterers.
The course instructor, Dr. Richard Johnson, served a career addressing issues of family violence. He responded to domestic violence incidents and investigated domestic violence crimes as a military police officer with the U.S. Air Force, as a trooper with the Indiana State Police, and as a sworn criminal investigator in the domestic violence unit of the Kane County State’s Attorney Office in Illinois. He served as an intensive DV probation officer with the Illinois 16th Judicial Circuit and as a trainer for law enforcement and community corrections responses to family violence. After completing his doctorate, Dr. Johnson served as a faculty member with the University of Toledo and the University of Michigan Dearborn where he has conducted extensive research on issues of domestic violence. Dr. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy / criminal justice from Indiana University at South Bend, a master’s degree in criminology from Indiana State University, and a doctorate in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati.
Course Topics Covered:
• Importance of understanding batterer thinking patterns
• The Holtzworth-Munroe batter typology
• Family-only batterer characteristics
• Dysphoric batterer characteristics
• Generally violent / antisocial batterer characteristics
• Low-level antisocial / sociopathic batterer characteristics
• How each batterer type responds to criminal justice system contact
• How each batterer type responds to rehabilitation efforts
• Narcissism characteristics versus low self-esteem characteristics
• The batterer ‘Power and Control Wheel’
• The batterer ‘Continuum of Control’
Chief Academic Officer, Dolan Consulting Group
| Dr. Richard Johnson
Richard R. Johnson, PhD, is a trainer and researcher with Dolan Consulting Group. He has decades of experience teaching and training on various topics associated with criminal justice, and has conducted research on a variety of topics related to crime and law enforcement. He holds a bachelor's degree in public administration and criminal justice from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) at Indiana University, with a minor in social psychology. He possesses a master's degree in criminology from Indiana State University. He earned his doctorate in criminal justice from the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati with concentrations in policing and criminal justice administration.
Dr. Johnson has published more than 50 articles on various criminal justice topics in academic research journals, including Justice Quarterly, Crime & Delinquency, Criminal Justice & Behavior, Journal of Criminal Justice, and Police Quarterly. He has also published more than a dozen articles in law enforcement trade journals such as the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Police Chief, Law & Order, National Sheriff, and Ohio Police Chief. His research has primarily focused on police-citizen interactions, justice system responses to domestic violence, and issues of police administration and management. Dr. Johnson retired as a full professor of criminal justice at the University of Toledo in 2016.
Prior to his academic career, Dr. Johnson served several years working within the criminal justice system. He served as a trooper with the Indiana State Police, working uniformed patrol in Northwest Indiana. He served as a criminal investigator with the Kane County State's Attorney Office in Illinois, where he investigated domestic violence and child sexual assault cases. He served as an intensive probation officer for felony domestic violence offenders with the Illinois 16th Judicial Circuit. Dr. Johnson is also a proud military veteran having served as a military police officer with the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, including active duty service after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Before that, he served as an infantry soldier and field medic in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard.
Consent Questions
Understanding Domestic Batterer Thinking Patterns | Hour 1
Understanding Domestic Batterer Thinking Patterns | Hour 2
