Family Violence in the Air Force: A Look at Offenders and the Role of the Family Advocacy Program

Family violence exists throughout society and, unfortunately, also among military families. The Air Force's Family Advocacy Program is designed not only to treat victims, offenders, and families of abuse and neglect, but also to provide prevention services. Each Air Force base has a Family Advocacy Officer, who is a credentialed clinical social worker, charged with the duty of addressing spouse abuse and child maltreatment problems. To evaluate the effectiveness of current services, and to improve the quality of the services provided through the Family Advocacy Program, the Air Force is currently conducting a 4-year evaluation study. This research represents the largest study ever conducted on family violence, with either military or civilian offenders. This paper, based upon the first year of data collected at approximately one-third of all Air Force medical treatment facilities, reported on the descriptive characteristics of the substantiated cases of spouse abuse and child abuse/neglect, and the interventions which were being recommended to alleviate the abusive situations and to prevent future maltreatment. The results will guide policy and future manning and staffing decisions for the Air Force Family Advocacy Program, and serve to document the kinds of treatment strategies which work most effectively for which kinds of problems. Findings are expected to help improve the quality of services to victims, offenders, and families, and to do so for those who are civilians as well as for those who are in the military