Section 501.30  Purpose and Principles

a)         The purposes of this Part are:

1)         To ensure the safety and rights of victims and their children;

2)         To ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their abusive behavior;

3)         To reduce and prevent intimate partner violence through effective intervention programs;

4)         To ensure perpetrators are appropriately screened and receive PAIP services that are effective and promote change;

5)         To ensure that PAIPs make appropriate service recommendations to address issues identified by screening;

6)         To ensure that current, appropriate intervention methods are used in PAIP programs;

7)         To inform the public about the nature of services and program requirements of PAIPs; and

8)         To encourage statewide communication and interaction among service providers and related agencies towards the goal of ending intimate             partner violence.

b)         The principles supporting PAIPs include:

1)         The safety and rights of victims must be the highest priority of all who work with perpetrators of intimate partner violence.

2)         The goal and purpose of a PAIP is strictly the cessation of intimate partner violence, not the saving or ending of relationships.

3)         Violence, abuse and controlling behavior can never be condoned under any circumstances.

4)         Perpetrators of intimate partner violence are a separate category of offenders requiring a specialized approach.  If they are guilty of other offenses, their intimate partner violence must be addressed separately.

5)         Perpetrators are capable of making nonviolent, nonabusive and noncontrolling behavioral choices.

6)         Perpetrators must be held fully accountable for the emotional, social and economic costs of their violent, abusive and controlling behavior, including sanctions at both the criminal justice and community levels.

7)         PAIPs must provide separate services for male, female and same-sex offenders to ensure safety and the use of appropriate interventions.

8)         PAIPs support community efforts that enable partner abuse victims to leave abusive relationships.

9)         The traumatic impact incurred by victims of intimate partner violence, as well as the risk of further harm to those victims, must always be of utmost consideration when making PAIP program decisions.

10)       PAIPs must respect the rights and individuality of all participants, including not discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disabilities, sexual orientation, or economic circumstances.

11)       PAIPs must remain current in following evidence-based practices that are based on current knowledge regarding the causes, dynamics and cessation of intimate partner violence.

12)       PAIPs must strive to reflect the cultural diversity of the communities they serve in both program content and staffing patterns.