NCJ Number
106242
Date Published
1984
Length
151 pages
Annotation
This study gathers information about the clientele and therapeutic effectiveness of three programs in Texas that counsel violent persons and recommends that more such programs be funded in local communities.
Abstract
Two of the clinics designed to reduce and prevent violence within families have volunteer clientele. The third is largely used by men convicted of assault against women and mandated by the court to undergo 18 weeks of group counseling on deferred adjudication, after which their offenses will be removed from their police records. The three staffs were interviewed so that the evaluators would learn their techniques, funding sources, and administrative procedures. All known clients who had taken the three programs were interviewed. In a majority of cases, violence had been stopped or greatly reduced by counseling. Only 16 percent of the men and 25 percent of the women said that physical violence persisted after the course. No woman reported more violence, and only one man reported that his wife had remained violent. Only 2 percent of the men and 10 percent of the women said that violence had remained the same, while 12 percent of the men and 18 percent of the women felt that the level of physical violence had been reduced. When counseling began, physical violence ceased for over two-thirds of the families involved. The purported stress of counseling procedures did not create a short-run escalation of violence. Even those who did not complete the course agreed that the programs had been beneficial and would recommend the courses to others. The interviewers, who worked with clients in individual interviews, believe that abuser counseling programs should be set up in cooperation with battered womens' shelters as independent programs. Regular monitoring and followup interviews should be included during and after counseling. References, followup questionnaire, and 18 tables.