On August 17, 2024, José was arrested by the State Police in Guadalajara, Mexico. After an argument, he hit his wife, María, in front of their two children—again. Although he claimed that he had only slapped her, María’s body bore multiple marks of both old and recent injuries.

The argument began because José had once again been drinking excessively. But unlike before, María had had enough—this time, she called the police, and José was arrested. He was prosecuted for domestic violence, and the judge granted him probation, allowing him to avoid trial and a prison sentence of six months to four years—on the condition that he cease his violent behavior and commit to comprehensive psychotherapeutic treatment. José accepted.

Due to the high demand for these services, José had to wait for a referral to a therapeutic program. During this time, he and María separated, his alcohol consumption worsened, he lost contact with his children, and he even considered suicide. On November 4, 2024, José attended his first CORE (Building Relationships) session. Like many of his peers, he attended solely to fulfill his legal obligation—unconvinced that he needed the intervention, resentful of the time commitment, and had no reason to be there.

Recognising violence: The first step to changing men’s abusive behaviour towards their partners

On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, in the same room where he had attended therapy sessions, José and 13 other participants received their graduation certificates, marking the completion of 18 sessions of the CORE Model—a therapeutic intervention based on a cognitive-behavioural-contextual approach for men who have used violence in intimate relationships.

The journey had not been easy. Four months earlier, none of them had been able to acknowledge their use of violence against their partners. Convinced they were not criminals, they saw no need for intervention. Prejudice, fear, past negative experiences, financial concerns, and time constraints kept them from seeking help or guidance for their emotional struggles.

Today, these same men take the microphone and confidently own the space, expressing gratitude to their therapists, Gabriel and Isaac, for the treatment. ‘It finally clicked—I recognise that I used violence,‘ they say now out loud. These 14 men joined the 24 graduates the CORE Model has already worked with, while 60 others continue attending group sessions.

Through CORE, men like José have learned to control their violent impulses, recognise risky situations, and intervene before acting. His story is just one of many where impulsive, violent reactions have overridden rational thought and emotional regulation—an issue at the heart of gender-based violence in Mexico. 7 out of 10 women in Mexico have experienced gender-based violence, and in 4 out of 10 cases, the perpetrator was their partner. This problem affects over 45 million women in a country of just over 126 million people.

The CORE Model: A successful intervention to change the behaviour of men who have committed intimate partner violence

CORE is a therapeutic intervention model for men who have used violence in intimate relationships. Based on a cognitive-behavioural-contextual approach, CORE focuses on modifying emotions (cognitive) and behaviours (behavioural) in specific moments and environments (contextual) where violence is likely to be triggered.

Inspired by the Achieving Change Through Values-Based Behavior (ACTV) Model—successfully tested in Iowa, USA, with extensive evidence of positive outcomes—the CORE Model was carefully designed by ProSociedad, a civil society organization based in Guadalajara, Mexico. Since 2024, in collaboration with LAB-CO, a Mexican social impact think-do tank focused on security and justice, ProSociedad and LAB-CO have jointly adapted, implemented, and evaluated the model. After multiple iterations, CORE achieved its first promising results in early 2025.

Initial data shows statistically significant improvements following participation in the CORE Model, particularly in physical violence reduction. Notably, psychological, physical, and sexual coercion within intimate relationships decreased by 21.55%. While participants with substance use faced more significant challenges in emotional regulation and accepting responsibility, they achieved a 22.98% reduction in the recurrence of conflict tactics.

For CORE, every data point tells a story of transformation. Like David, Ernesto, and Raúl, many participants have improved their ability to manage emotional distress without it negatively affecting their daily lives. Others, like Arturo and Darío, have developed a greater awareness of family tensions and learned to respond constructively. Thanks to CORE, these men have successfully identified and rejected physical, psychological, and sexual violence, among other harmful behaviours.

The CORE Model is a significant innovation in Mexico and Latin America, offering an effective approach to preventing and reducing violence by working directly with men who perpetrate it in intimate relationships.

With the SVRI Research Grant, the implementation team works tirelessly to reach 96 participants, consolidate all materials for the model’s implementation, and establish a robust Monitoring and Evaluation System. This will lay the foundation for scaling and replicating CORE in other municipalities and states across Mexico and Latin America.

This blog was written by Ana Arroyo Gámez, Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist at LAB-CO; Sofía Rivera, Public Policy Analyst at LAB-CO; and Carlos Bauche, Co-Founder and Director of ProSociedad.

LAB-CO is a non-profit laboratory for policy innovation in crime prevention, citizen security and justice in Latin America. ProSociedad is a development agency based in Guadalajara, Mexico, specialising in the strengthening and sustainability of evidence-based interventions. Together, they received an SVRI Research Grant in 2024 to consolidate and assess the design and coherence of the CORE Model, in order to determine its potential for replication and scaling up.

References:

Zarling, A., & Berta, M. (2017). An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Approach for Partner Aggression. Partner Abuse, Volume 8, Number 1, 89-109.

Zarling, A., & Berta, M. B. (2019). Evaluation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Domestic Violence Offenders. American Psychological Association, Vol. 9, No. 3, 257–266.

Zarling, A., & Russell, D. (2022). A randomized clinical trial of acceptance and commitment therapy and the Duluth Model classes for men court-mandated to a domestic violence program. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 90(4), 326–338.

Zarling, A., Lawrence, E., & Marchman, J. (2015). A randomized controlled trial of acceptance and commitment therapy for aggressive behavior. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 83(1), 199–212.