Citation

Campbell M, Neil JA, Jaffe PG, Kelly T. J. Fam. Violence 2010; 25(4): 413-422.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10896-010-9302-z

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The present study investigated effective strategies for engaging abusive men and preventing the reoccurrence or escalation of violence against women. Seventy-three men solicited from a community program for male batterers completed a questionnaire regarding help-seeking behaviors. Of these participants, 12 participated in subsequent focus group discussions. Approximately two-thirds of the participants identified they had sought help regarding the problems in their intimate relationships; however, only half of them actually received help that addressed their violent behaviors. Furthermore, of those participants who received help, only one-quarter found the help to be useful or effective. When reviewing both the questionnaire responses and focus group transcripts, several help-seeking themes emerged from the data including numerous missed opportunities to intervene, men’s view of masculinity and help-seeking, and the critical role of developing trust, non-judgmental and confidential counseling relationships. The results have implications for both public education campaigns and training of professionals to address domestic violence issues in male clients.