Mesmerizing Violent Offenders with a Slice of Life

Abstract

Many men who are referred to treatment programs because of their abusive behaviour towards marital partners are resistant to this therapeutic experience as a result of authoritarian attempts to get them to explore their problems. When it comes to family violence, it could be argued the community is the client, and public awareness campaigns have made violence against women and children a taboo. Unfortunately, regardless of how well the community has attempted to raise public consciousness with respect to violence, men usually enter treatment fearful, which creates fear and promotes an escape from responsibility When these men are mandated to seek counselling through the courts or given an ultimatum by their partners, they experience a wide range of emotions, including shame and blame. In this context, the use of face-saving explanations of behavior is a typical response.