Treatment programs for intimately abusive men seek to stop and prevent partner and family violence by applying a variety of methods based on different disciplinary premises. For professionals working with this particular group of clients, the challenge is to combine therapeutic understanding and support with adequate efforts to make clients stop and reconsider their behavior. This qualitative study investigated conversations within a Finnish abuser treatment program in which an integrative treatment approach was applied. A detailed study of videotaped conversations within a 15-week therapy program was conducted through Dialogical Investigations, a method specifically designed for studying interactions in multiple-actor settings. The findings demonstrate how dialogical investigations can assist in evaluations of the efficacy of abuser treatment programs. Consideration is also given to facilitators' working style, and some examples of how the two dominant approaches in abuser treatment can be successfully combined are provided.

No abstract

Abstract:This qualitative study investigated talk and interaction as process factors potentially influencing outcomes in abuser group intervention. The findings showed that (a) abusers participate in group programs with considerably different degrees of motivation; (b) the interaction in abusers' various stages of change is characterized by different qualities; and (c) group counselors face a challenge in adapting their ways of working to abusers' various needs and backgrounds. The findings demonstrate the importance of attending to the interactional elements in abuser treatment programs, and show the value of matching an abuser's needs and degree of motivation with the timing of interventions. It is argued that attention to all these matters could help in making abuser programs more effective.Author Comments: 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 attention to all these matters could help in making abuser programs more effective. Powered by Editorial Manager® and Preprint Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation

No abstract