NCJ Number
108543
Journal
Psychotherapy Volume: 23 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1986) Pages: 622-628
Date Published
1986
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The documented high incidence of alcoholism in abusive partners indicates that battered women have a very high probability of being coalcoholics.
Abstract
In addition, the literature on coalcoholics and battered women identifies several similarities in their behaviors. Given this, an intervention was developed that combined crisis intervention, social learning, and family systems models of treating domestic violence with the methodology developed by the Johnson Institute (1983) for alcoholism intervention. The resultant treatment approach aims to help the coalcoholic woman confont her partner about the violence and the alcoholism and move him toward seeking appropriate treatment. The first four sessions provide information on alcoholism, its symptoms, and effects to the battered woman and concerned others (family members, friends, employers) and focuses on the confrontation with the batterer that occurs in the fifth session. During the last session, each group member confronts the batterer and urges that he immediately seek whatever treatment option has been deemed appropriate. A case study illustrates the successful application of this technique. 31 references.