Ill. Admin. Code tit. 89, pt. 501, subpt. C, app A
The belief that men are superior to women and have the right to dominate them may be a principal contributor to partner abuse.
a) Group activities shall focus on the following attitudes and behaviors:
1) Belief in egalitarian partnership;
2) Respect for equal rights;
3) Awareness that abuse is an intentional strategy designed to exert power and control over intimate partners;
4) Identification and appropriate expression of a full range of emotions;
5) Awareness of the financial costs on families and society (police, employers, courts) of intimate partner violence;
6) Empathy for the victim's experience;
7) Understanding the negative effects of the abuse on victims, children, abusers, the community and society as a whole;
8) Encouraging examination of life experiences and belief systems (e.g., family, community and culture) that have fostered choices for abusive behavior;
9) Nonabusive beliefs and choices; and
10) Acknowledgement and consideration of others' needs that are independent of abusers' needs.
b) Group activities shall challenge, among others, the following attitudes:
1) Justification of violence, such as revenge, retaliation, etc.;
2) Normalization of the violence;
3) Right/need to exert power and control over intimate partners;
4) Self-centered thinking;
5) Substance abuse and past victimization cause violent behavior;
6) Rigid sex-role stereotypes;
7) Aggression as a conflict resolution tool; and
8) Oppressive beliefs systems (e.g., sexism, racism, bias based on sexual orientation) that result in violent behavior.
Ill. Admin. Code tit. 89, pt. 501, subpt. C, app A