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Towards Balancing Power in Domestic Violence Relationships
Author(s) -
Wileman Robin,
Wileman Bud
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1467-8438
pISSN - 0814-723X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1467-8438.1995.tb01055.x
Subject(s) - domestic violence , set (abstract data type) , power (physics) , social psychology , political correctness , project commissioning , psychology , public relations , criminology , political science , politics , publishing , poison control , suicide prevention , law , medicine , medical emergency , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , programming language
Women's powerlessness to effect change in their partner's violence has been promoted in the literature. This has led to a downgrading in therapeutic responses to domestic violence and an over‐reliance on legalistic remedies. However, many victims of domestic violence assert often that they want their relationships to survive and the violence to stop. Others may wish to leave their partners but find this too difficult. This paper describes a therapeutic/educational group program which set out to identify how women can become empowered and effect positive change in their partner's violent behaviour. The balancing of power was based upon the application of a set of guidelines which were applied in conjunction with McDonald's (1989) Cycle of Violence, with cognisance given to perpetrator characteristics. This initiative broadens the range of services available to women and it questions the political correctness of current domestic violence public social policy.