Type:	Conference Paper
Title:	Putting the baby back in the bath: reintegrating psychology into domestic violence
Other Titles:	The national men and family relationships forum, 19-20 October 2004, Darli[cut]
Authors:	Sutton, Steve
Keywords:	Perpetrator programs;Perpetrators;Counselling;Theories of violence
Year:	2004
Publisher:	Family Service Australia
Notes:	General overview: This conference paper outlines the theoretical basis of U-TURN, a group program for domestic violence perpetrators. The author argues that while feminist explanations of violence centred on patriarchy are an important part of domestic violence therapy, more attention needs to be paid to the individual psychology of the perpetrator. Discussion: The author coordinates the Centacare U-TURN Domestic Violence Perpetrator program in Sydney, Australia. The program is co-facilitated by a male psychologist and a female social worker, and a condition of the program is that the participants give permission for their female partners to be contacted by the social worker for the purpose of assessment, support and evaluation of the men’s progress. In order to effect attitudinal and behavioural change, the group looks at emotional needs and attachment patterns and beliefs about relationships and communication styles of both partners. Participants identify conflict issues and dysfunctional interactions in a context of exploration of gender roles, equality and intimacy. The U-TURN program is influenced by the US Duluth program, a psycho-educational approach which suggests that men’s violence towards women is learned behaviour which can be unlearned. The group identifies socialisation that reinforces beliefs in male entitlement and tactics of power and control used by perpetrators. The Duluth program uses social psychological and sociocultural levels of explanation but avoids the psychology of the individual. The author argues that domestic violence workers are pressured to adopt a single level, sociocultural feminist analysis of gender and power. However since all men are subject to patriarchy, while only some use violence, patriarchy is not a sufficient explanation for domestic violence. The U-TURN program incorporates intrapsychic theories, such as narrative therapy, psychoanalysis and attachment theory. Narrative therapy, that is, allowing men to tell their stories, is a useful way to break down the defensiveness that men commonly bring to a perpetrator’s group. They are then asked to consider what type of relationship they want, and what gets in the way of that relationship. Anger management is commonly raised by men at this stage. The paper outlines the neurobiology of emotions and considers how emotions are regulated. Finally, attachment theory is outlined, including a discussion of the connection between insecure attachment and anger, aggression and violence.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/21114
Physical description:	22 p.
Appears in Collections:	Conference Papers

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