Tulsa Nonprofit Unveils New Strategy For Preventing Future Domestic Violence

A Tulsa nonprofit helping victims of domestic violence is using a new strategy to prevent future violence.

Domestic Violence Intervention Services said they will be using a new tool to help people impacted by domestic violence called Circles of Peace.

According to DVIS, Circles of Peace is a new model that can bring the victim and abuser together with other community members to promote healing and to prevent future violence, however, it is completely optional for the victim to participate if the model is used.

Although adding an important tool to DVIS's abusive partner intervention program, DVIS said there are some important differences between the two programs. In the abusive partner intervention program, people are already criminally charged, but Circles of Peace is used before a charge is presented to the court system.

DVIS CEO Tracey Lyall said the goal with Circles of Peace is to create a dialogue about the incident, uncover histories of violence in the family and create meaningful change.

"The most important voice we can hear is the voice of a survivor," Lyall said. "So this model listens to that and uses that as part of the repairing harm in the community and for the survivor."

Lyall also said Circles of Peace uses what's called restorative justice, which tries to repair harm done to the victim by holding the person who used violence accountable and giving them a chance to repair the harm they've caused, to aid the healing process.

Lyall said this method also allows the person who's caused harm a chance to restore and repair the pain they've caused and to allow everyone to move forward.

"They often are still co-parenting, raising children together, and so repair gives the opportunity for healthy relationships to move forward, particularly if you’re still together or co-parenting children," Lyall said.

DVIS said they are going to try this program as an 18-month pilot, with a goal of serving 60 people before deciding on keeping it permanently.