The Violence of Men: New Techniques for Working with Abusive Families: A Therapy of Social Action
Family violence constitutes the most insidious, pervasive, and destructive mental health problem we face today. Violence is not an impulse or an isolated action, it is a social intervention that impinges on everyone's life. It has become essential that we break the cycle of violence and restore dignity to the lives of violent men and their victims. In this timely book, renowned family therapist Cloe Madanes presents a therapy of social action a proven model of therapeutic intervention developed for professionals who work with violent men. At the very heart of this approach is the conviction that the offender is fully responsible for his actions. As evidence of this core belief, a therapy of social action requires the offender to acknowledge his violent actions, demonstrate authentic repentance, make amends to the victim, and find acceptable alternative behaviors. The Violence of Men is filled with illustrative case studies that demonstrate the step-by-step therapeutic process for working with clients who have committed acts of incest, child abuse, juvenile sexual crime, or marital violence. In addition to the wealth of case studies and examples, the book gives specific guidelines and recommendations for:developing communication skills that will compel the offender to take full responsibility for his violent actsconfronting the offender with the effects of his violent actions so he can empathize with his victimallowing other family members who have been victims or offenders to reveal themselves during the therapeutic processinsisting the offender humble himself in front of the entire family by apologizing to the victim and admitting that the victim is not to blameurging the mother and other significant relatives of the victim to apologize for not protecting her from the abusediscussing with the offender and adult family members the consequences of any further violence such as maximum legal consequences...