More than one thousand people were charged with domestic violence in Vermont last year. In just the last month, the state has seen several shocking murders involving what investigators have described as long histories of domestic violence.
The plight of the victims rightfully gets most of the attention. But for every victim of abuse, there is an abuser. We're looking at what help is available to stop abusers from continuing the pattern of violence.
Melissa Deas is the director of Domestic Violence to Responsible Choices, a state-certified domestic violence intervention program that aims to council abusers and change their behavior.
She joins Vermont Edition to discuss her nearly two decades of counseling abusers, and the changes to attitude and behavior she says need to happen to stop intimate partner violence.
Broadcast live on Thursday, May 31, 2018 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.