Finding Their Voice: Observation of the Surrogate Victim Offender Dialogue Project. Does the Program Provide a Path for Survivors of Domestic Violence to Progress Through Developmental Learning Stages?

In too many cases, offenders and victims of domestic violence return to unhealthy destructive relationships. The Surrogate Victim Offender Dialogue was developed to provide a setting in which offenders and victims of domestic violence engage in a dialogue. One victim and one offender of domestic violence, who have no previous relationship with each other , were paired for a voluntary dialogue session with trained victim offender co-facilitation team as well as their counselors.

The purpose of this study is to determine if the surrogate program provides an opportunity for a domestic violence victim to gain a voice. Interviews with five survivors who participated in the program provide a plethora of information about stages of learning and movement that can occur during an intervention process. A survivor and an offender are in a safe and secure setting where a shift in thinking and perceptions about themselves and their abilities to handle situations can occur. They may talk candidly about their experiences, question each other, digest the results and draw their own conclusions about their future.

The information acquired will be useful to those designing and implementing victim-offender programs as well as to conflict resolution practitioners involved in domestic violence cases. When reviewing statements made by the participants, one can conclude that it is vital to incorporate the ways that women gain their voice with intervention programs for those who are at risk for violence. Providing a way for a survivor of violence to move beyond her current level to a place where she is able to rely not only on friends, books and counselors, but on her own intuition, knowledge and creations is a crucial step in building her self-esteem and self-image. This shift can empower a survivor to leave and remain out of a domestic violence situation. These answers may prove critical in the treatment and education of victims, possibly directing them to a path of independence and freedom.