Perceptions and Experiences of an Attachment-Based Intervention for Parents Troubled by Intimate Partner Violence

It is known that intimate partner violence (IPV) negatively affects both parental capacity and children’s well-being, but few studies have focused on the experiences of those taking part in family interventions focused on IPV. In this study, 26 parents (16 mothers and 10 fathers) with a history of IPV participated in focus groups concerning their attachment-based group intervention experience in the program Parenting and Violence. The transcripts, subjected to thematic analysis, showed that participants experienced the intervention as supportive and confirming of their role as parents. Parents described feeling more in control, more self-confident, more skilled in communicating, and more able to provide security for their children. However, they also expressed a need for continuing support to maintain their improved parenting strategies.