The Freedom Programme   - Three day workshop

Training is given to professionals working with women and children living with domestic violence and abuse to run a 12 week programme. The workshop was originally designed by Pat Craven in 1999.

What is The Freedom Programme?

The underlying reason for using violence and abuse is the desire to maintain control over their partner. Violence may not be used regularly and in some cases will not be used at all, but there is a continuum of other tactics and behaviours which enable abusive partners to take control. Violence is often used when perpetrators believe the other tactics are failing to work.

On the Freedom Programme the continuum of tactics used to achieve power and control are depicted in the character of the Dominator. The Dominator was inspired by the Deluth Domestic Violence Intervention Project in Minnesota. The Dominator is one man, but we describe him as changing in to other characters to use different kinds of controlling behaviour.

Think of the number of women you have worked with who describe their partner as 'Jekyll & Hyde' ! He can change from one character to another at lightening speed. When women look at the Dominator handout they often say, "You must have met my husband"!

The Dominator is made up of the: bully; headworker; jailor; liar; bad-father; king of the castle; sexual controller and the liar. See more about The Dominator here:

 

 

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