California has a complex set of domestic violence laws that cover crimes committed against intimate partners. The law is very broad in terms of defining the relationship that gives rise to the domestic violence charge. The legal definition of an “intimate partner” includes husbands or wives, boyfriends or girlfriends, and same-sex partners.

One major domestic violence crime is infliction of injury and is more commonly referred to as “spousal abuse.” If an individual willfully inflicts any injury, regardless of how minor, upon an intimate partner, he or she can be charged with a felony, carrying a sentence of up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $6,000.

In California, a person convicted of an infliction of injury offense will be sentenced to a batterer’s class as a condition of probation. At a minimum, the offender must attend one two-hour class every week for a year. These classes are exclusively male or female and are sensitive to cultural, ethnic, and sexual orientation issues.

Batterer’s classes were designed to help people manage their anger and rage. The goal of the class is help abusers learn to walk away from potentially explosive situations before resorting to violence. To reach this goal, these counseling sessions encourage the abusers to examine their lives to understand why they engage in violent outbursts. Hopefully, the batterer will learn that relationships do not improve through the use of violence.

California has established guidelines for batterer’s classes to ensure that all abusers receive the same education and counseling regardless of where they live. Batterer’s classes were developed to stop the cycle of violence. Each class addresses the following themes: gender roles, socialization, the nature of violence, the effects of abuse on others, and the dynamics of power and control.

In regard to these common themes, the class counselors discuss various forms of abuse including physical, emotional and sexual abuse. They explain the ramifications of economic manipulation or domination, destruction of property, and acts jeopardizing the well-being and safety of other family members or friends. The program also addresses effective communication methods and will help the batterer to create equality within the relationship by removing the threat of violence.

During batterer’s classes, the counselors refute any justifications the batterer may give for his or her use of violence within the relationship. They aim to reconstruct all beliefs, values, behaviors that the abuser may have. The result is a reformation of the batterer’s belief system to discourage the use of intimidation, violence, and coercion against domestic partners and children. If the batterer attempts to blame the victim for the violence or in any other way tries shrug off any personal responsibility, the counselors confront the batterer and change the direction of thinking. These classes include a host of helpful topics such as the destructive impact that violence has on self-esteem, and the effect that abuse has on children, whether they receive the abuse directly or witness the abuse of another. Batterers are also taught specific ways to achieve non-controlling, non-abusive, attitudes and behaviors towards their intimate partners and children.

Facing an infliction of injury charge is difficult and not to be taken lightly. A conviction would likely lead to probationary requirements, one of which is attendance of a batterer’s class. Addressing the problem head on is the best way to prevent a future incident from occurring. Another important step is securing a skilled attorney who has knowledge of the criminal justice system and specifically, domestic abuse charges. Lawyers at the Kavinoky Law Firm have years of experience in navigating probationary terms with ease and understanding. They have vast resources on batterer’s programs throughout California and can help make the process a little easier.