Abuser: An individual who engages in or commits domestic violence.
Batterer's Intervention Program (BIP): State certified 48-week programs batterers attend that are designed to hold them accountable for their criminal behavior; encourage behavior change through the community's demand for accountable and respectful actions in intimate and family relationships; and increase victim safety. Participants may be court-mandated to attend or may enroll on a voluntary basis.
The groups are led by certified batterer's intervention counselors trained in dealing with domestic violence offenders. The programs work with the courts and victim services to help make sure that partners of batterer's remain safe. The programs may involve weekly sessions of 1 to 2 hours in length. The batterer must participate in the program for a minimum number of hours.
Department: Department of Public Safety.
Domestic Violence: A pattern of coercive behavior that is used by a person against family or household members to gain power or control over the other party in a relationship. This behavior may include any of the following: physical violence, sexual abuse, emotional and psychological intimidation, verbal abuse and threats, stalking, isolation from friends and family, economic control, destruction of personal property and animal cruelty. Domestic violence occurs between people of all racial, economic, educational and religious backgrounds. It occurs in heterosexual and same-sex relationships, between married and unmarried partners, between current and former partners and between other family and household members.
In The Work Place: When a Department of Public Safety employee, whether the employee is the victim or the abuser, is on duty, is in state-owned or leased work space or is using the facilities or services of the State, or is wearing a uniform or official insignia identifying the office or position of the employee or is using a vehicle owed or leased by the State or its agencies, the employee is considered "in the workplace."
Sexual assault: An act of sexual violence whereby a party forces, coerces, or manipulates another to participate in unwanted sexual activity. This behavior may include strange rape, date and acquaintance rape, marital or partner rape, incest, child sexual abuse, sexual contact, sexual harassment, ritual abuse, exposure and voyeurism.
Stalking: Any conduct as defined in 17-A M.R.S.A. §210-A.
Work Place Safety Plan: A strategy developed in consultation with a victim to implement work place safety options, including, but not limited to: setting up procedures for alerting security of police; temporary relocation of the victim to a secure area; voluntary temporary transfer or permanent relocation to a new work site; reassignment of parking space; escort for entry to and exit from the work site; responding to telephone harassment.
