Group treatment of men who batter their female partners

Interventions with men who batter their partners pose characteristic challenges to the therapist. It is difficult to assess the extent and actual ramifications of the abuse problem. Clients may be reluctant, having been court-ordered into treatment; they tend to minimize, deny, and externalize responsibility for their actions. The physical well-being of spouses, children, and others may be affected by the treatment outcome. Therapists may feel distaste for, or fear, the client who has caused terror, possibly physical injury, and sometimes death to people close to him. For these reasons, the therapist must add to his or her basic clinical skill the ability to confront and resolve many important side issues that can derail the best-laid therapeutic plan. This article describes a group treatment program, using cases to illustrate typical problems and interactions. It offers guidance for therapists working to enable abusive men to acknowledge and end their violence by changing their behaviors and thought processes. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.