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Treatment for Spouse-Abusive Males (From Violence Hits Home: Comprehensive Treatment Approaches to Domestic Violence, P 66-82, 1990, Sandra M. Stith, Mary Beth Williams, et al., -- See NCJ-128537)

NCJ Number
128541
Author(s)
D R Clow; D E Hutchins; D E Vogler
Date Published
1990
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This treatment model for male abusers emphasizes the previolent phase of the cycle of violence and the abuser's: unique thoughts (T), feelings (F), and actions (A) in order to prevent future violence from happening.
Abstract
The TFA System has been refined to equip clinicians, clients, and others with a methodology to assess thinking, feeling, and acting in specific problem situations. These refinements make it possible to teach individuals the skills necessary to assess their levels of TFA and make needed adjustments. The TFA treatment plan calls for six, court-referred men to complete a 12-week program. The first part of the treatment addresses previolent experiences marked by rising tensions leading to the abusive man's use of violence and subsequent arrest. The second part attempts to prepare each man to nonviolently handle their most frustrating problem situation, which was known to be prone to loss of control. Though therapeutic intervention with male spouse abusers is by no means an established art, guidelines have been developed to help in the therapeutic treatment of the male abuser. These include TFA, integration, context, group treatment, and client involvement. 40 references