Change StepTM is a culturally-specific, domestic abuse program developed by the Domestic Abuse Project (DAP). The program is for men who have served in the military and have used abusive behavior in their intimate relationships. The program intention is to take into account the sacrifices the service member made for their country and therefore, both support and honor them for their service, while providing specialized treatment for domestic abuse.

At DAP, it has always been our mission to end the cycle of domestic abuse. We believe that abuse and violence are learned behaviors and therefore can be replaced by behaviors that do not harm others. Men and women who have served in the armed forces have been through intensive training to learn behaviors that suppress the cues that typically indicate to us that something is not right. Military training prepares service members to succeed in executing missions by following orders to protect themselves, their comrades, and our country. While these skills are useful in completing military missions, they can become problematic and harmful in intimate relationships. The military does not train members to differentiate the suppression of emotional, physical, and mental cues that are useful in the field yet harmful out of the field. Therefore, learning and utilizing tools that engage self-awareness of their cues escalation are a vital part of being relational and non-violent. The Change Step program provides the space for men to openly dialogue about emotions and physiology related to the progression of escalation.

Part of military training includes never leaving anyone behind, the battle buddy system. This training can influence the behavioral change process through accountability. The Change Step process groups rely heavily on camaraderie for the re-sculpting of behavior.