[Spouse violence: treat the bully to save the victim]

Traditionally, the police and judiciary have been rather late in dealing with domestic violence, considering it to be a private matter. However, this form of violence has a tendency to increase in frequency and intensity over time. If the victim's initial complaint is not taken in account, then he or she will become even more isolated, while the offender may see this" official inaction "as justifying his or her deeds. The later the authorities call these perpetrators to book, by reminding them that violence is unacceptable, the more difficult it is to manage and treat them. This is why, in our jurisdiction (Douai, northern France), offenders are transiently excluded from the home. Victims are followed throughout by social workers, who explain the procedure and refer them to a lawyer if they wish to take legal action. They are also introduced to a self-support group that includes both victims and psychologists, in order to allow them to share their experience. The public prosecutor encourages the offender to stay in a designated residential center for about ten days, in order to break the cycle of abuse. The aim is to stress that all violence is illegal and to give the offender time to reflect on what led him or her to be violent. After this period of isolation, the offender, whose behavior is assessed on a standardized form, is invited to return home, after being informed that any further violence on their part will lead to an immediate court appearance. Then, during a six-month period, three hours per week, the offender is invited to attend a self-help group that includes psychiatrists and psychologists. The results are satisfactory: between May 2003 and December 2010 the relapse rate stabilized at 6%, a level that seemed impossible to attain in early 2003 when the system was created