Thread by @OJRCenter

Chris Huffine is a psychologist and ED of @AlliesinChange and he's speaking next with Susan Reyes-Torres, group facilitator/conductor also with Allies. #WIPConf

@AlliesinChange Chris and Susan are talking about women arrested for #domesticviolence perpetration and differentiating between primary and secondary aggressors. #WIPConf

Among women arrested for #domesticviolence, their male partners were the primary aggressors in 3-8x more couples than where the women were the primary aggressors. #WIPConf

Chris Huffine: A relationship is a movie, not a snapshot. The moment when someone gets arrested for DV is just a snapshot. There's only so much you can work out without seeing the whole movie. #WIPConf #domesticviolence

Studies that look at the whole "movie" not the "snapshot" show far more men perpetrating abusive behavior, and far more women as victims. #WIPConf

Chris Huffine: for a more nuanced analysis of abuse, look at frequency, intent of abuser, impact and context. #domesticviolence #WIPConf

Chris Huffine: The pattern of abuse is key. #domesticviolence #WIPConf

Susan Reyes-Torres: You have to dig down to the foundational reasons for people abusing others: what did they experience in the past/as children, that taught them violence is OK? #WIPConf #domesticviolence

Chris Huffine: Millions of people who have experienced terrible and traumatic things don't become abusive. We need to understand why some others do. #WIPConf #domesticviolence

Chris Huffine: Abusive behavior is harm with intent (whether or not you're conscious of that intent) that you rationalize to yourself. #domesticviolence #WIPConf

Chris Huffine: A good book to read about #domesticviolence to understand the issue is "The Verbally Abusive Relationship" by Patricia Evans. #WIPConf

Chris Huffine: Most people who have been abused have committed some isolated acts such as physically defending themselves. But understood in context, it's not the same as the actions of the primary aggressor. #WIPConf #domesticviolence

Chris Huffine: Most women arrested in #Oregon for #domesticviolence don't have patterns of power and control. #WIPConf

Chris Huffine: Almost all women in our primary aggressor groups have histories of childhood and adult victimization. #domesticviolence #WIPConf

Chris Huffine: Most abusive men are very controlled and calm in public. This is less true for women who are primary aggressors. #WIPConf #domesticviolence