Publications / Reports / Curriculum
Melissa has contributed to, provide technical input and review, co-authored and authored a number of reports, publications and curriculum related to domestic violence/coercive control. A few of those publications are listed below.
Republic of Georgia 2017: Developing a Risk Assessment for Domestic Violence
In 2017-2018, Melissa worked on developing a risk assessment method and tool to better identify domestic violence and coercive control for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country of Georgia (former Soviet Union country) and UN Women. Click here to view a summary report of that work. She led a team of staff and consultants at GRW to develop the risk assessment tool and methodology.
Turning Points: A Nonviolence Curriculum for Women
Domestic Violence Turning Points is an educational program that seeks to provide training, technical assistance and material support to programs and practitioners who are providing education, support, advocacy and or therapy for women who are using legal and illegal violence in their intimate relationships. While the primary audience is women using violence against their abusers other women using violence in intimate relationships benefit from these groups. Go to: www.dvturningpoints.com for additional information. Click here for a free preview of Turning Points: A Non-Violence Curriculum for Women.
Addressing Fatherhood with Men Who Batter
Addressing Fatherhood with Men Who Batter is a supplement curriculum for working with men who batter who are fathers that works in tandem with the Duluth Model's Creating a Process of Change for Men Who Batter curriculum. This curriculum is for batterer intervention program facilitators and parenting skills program coordinators who seek to either start a separate class for fathers or want exercises that address fatherhood to include in standard classes with men who batter. The curriculum is also relevant to parenting skills coordinators who want to gain the skills to screen for fathers who batter and to work with them in a format that addresses their role as a co/parallel parent.
Authors: Melissa Scaia, Laura Connelly and John Downing
Consultants: Ellen Pence, PhD and Sylvia Olney, LMFT
The curriculum cover four themes:
Go to: www.theduluthmodel.org for additional information. Click here for a free preview of Addressing Fatherhood with Men Who Batter.
Authors: Melissa Scaia, Laura Connelly and John Downing
Consultants: Ellen Pence, PhD and Sylvia Olney, LMFT
The curriculum cover four themes:
- Examining the childhood experiences of men who batter
- The impact of battering on children
- Becoming a more nurturing, child-centered father
- Examining how men who batter can be respectful, non-violent and more supportive of their children’s mother and of the mother-child relationship.
Go to: www.theduluthmodel.org for additional information. Click here for a free preview of Addressing Fatherhood with Men Who Batter.
Safe Consultations with Survivors of Violence Against Women
Melissa Scaia was the primary author of Safe Consultations with Survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls. UN Women, together with Global Rights for Women, developed this written resource, which is designed to provide practical steps, safety measures, and actions that government agencies, civil society and survivor organizations, and United Nations’ entities can take to incorporate survivors' voices into systemic reform efforts, through safe and meaningful consultations.
This guidance is intended to help policymakers develop survivor-centered programming on ending violence against women and girls that meets the needs of diverse groups of women and girls, including those who are at higher risk of experiencing violence and discrimination. It is applicable to programming across the health, justice and policing, and social services sectors, as well as coordination of these sectors, and will help improve the standard and delivery of essential services for women and girls who have experienced violence.
Click on this link to access this written resource guide as a PDF: Safe Consultations with Survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls.
Click here to access the UN Women digital resource library to access this written resource guide and many others.
This guidance is intended to help policymakers develop survivor-centered programming on ending violence against women and girls that meets the needs of diverse groups of women and girls, including those who are at higher risk of experiencing violence and discrimination. It is applicable to programming across the health, justice and policing, and social services sectors, as well as coordination of these sectors, and will help improve the standard and delivery of essential services for women and girls who have experienced violence.
Click on this link to access this written resource guide as a PDF: Safe Consultations with Survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls.
Click here to access the UN Women digital resource library to access this written resource guide and many others.
Research on Women's Use of Violence in Intimate Partner Relationships
In 2017, I published research with Battered Women's Justice Project team that works to address the needs of criminalized survivors. I conducted focus groups and interviews with battered women who were arrested and convicted of domestic violence against their abuser to better understand the impact of the arrest and conviction on them. I authored the research and publication, In Their Own Words: Victims of Battering Talk About Being Arrested and Convicted.
North Dakota Needs Assessment for Domestic Violence
Melissa worked on a team lead by Laura Williams while at GRW to assess the needs of victims of domestic violence in North Dakota. Melissa also co-facilitated focus groups and interviews with victims of domestic violence throughout North Dakota. The full report was completed in September 2023 and can be found here. A two-page summary of the North Dakota domestic violence needs assessment can be found here.