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Alternate treatments
for men who abuse women
Newswise — The ability to
effectively treat men who repeatedly abuse women may be improved
through individualized therapy rather than the traditional group
treatment approach, according to a Purdue University domestic
violence expert.
"We know that group treatments
work for some men, but others will continue to physically,
verbally, psychologically and sexually abuse women," said
Christopher I. Eckhardt, associate professor of psychological
sciences. "Our perspective is that treatment guidelines should
focus on the individual's background, motivations for engaging
in abuse, and readiness to change their behavior, rather than a
'one-size-fits-all' approach to treatment.
"Domestic violence researchers
and counselors in the field do not fully understand why partner
abuse occurs and how we can change this behavior in every case.
But we do know that people are likely to respond differently to
different methods of intervention, and for many men, individual
treatment may be the way to go. The safety of women matters the
most, so we need to make sure we consider all effective forms of
intervention with this goal in mind."
Eckhardt and Christopher M.
Murphy, associate professor of psychology at the University of
Maryland, are near the end of their four-year clinical study to
evaluate the long-term use of individually based intervention
for abusive men. Eckhardt and Murphy developed a new treatment
manual based on their earlier research. They also are comparing
the effectiveness of their individual treatment versus a
standard group therapy in a study, which concludes next summer,
and is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Guilford Publications published the manual "Treating the Abusive
Partner: An Individualized Cognitive-Behavioral Approach" ($35)
this month.
According to Eckhardt, partner
violence interventions have traditionally focused on abusive
men's attitudes that lead them to believe they are in a position
of power in their relationships. For example, some men use
physical and emotional abuse to limit their partners' access to
friends or bank accounts. Because it is assumed that these male
attitudes are learned and reinforced through society, group
therapies that re-educate abusive men about gender attitudes and
how society labels and treats women have become the standard
method of treatment.
One potential benefit of the
group format is that men can provide an environment to help each
other change their behavior, Eckhardt said. However, the
opposite also can happen, and negative attitudes can be
introduced and reinforced in the group setting, he said.
Concerns about sharing personal information in a group setting
also may keep some men from talking about personal issues, such
as being a victim of abuse themselves.
"The published research tells
us that men who attend group therapy for partner abuse are only
about 5 percent less likely to reoffend compared to men who
regularly meet with their probation officers. Our research shows
us that other forms of treatment also could be beneficial,"
Eckhardt said. "Men don't abuse women for the same reasons, and
by tailoring treatment to individuals, counselors can more
directly focus on other problems, such as anger-control problems
or the after-effects of childhood traumas. These factors must be
addressed before any re-education efforts can have an effect."
While the results of the
clinical trial have not been evaluated, Eckhardt expects that
the individual approach will be especially useful for men
classified as being at high risk for reoffending. The
intervention described in the manual outlines how to create an
atmosphere that encourages men to take responsibility for their
abusive behavior, to modify attitudes and emotions that have
become extreme and to specifically instruct men on relationship
skills that may prevent further abuse from occurring.
Eckhardt said encouraging some
agencies to use this form of therapy will be a challenge, as
most states have guidelines that will promote intervention
programs for abusive men that are in a group format only.
"This is favored because if
you only consider the short-term cost of treatment, group
treatment appears to be the least expensive option," Eckhardt
said. "The cost for individual intervention is indeed higher,
but if we can keep someone from repeating the behavior, then the
long-term costs will actually be less for this approach. We want
to stop the revolving door."
The National Institute of
Mental Health funded the clinical trial and publication. The
National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National
Institute of Justice and the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation
also supported Eckhardt's research.
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