Citation

Freeman DR. J. Relig. Spiritual. Soc. Work 2001; 20(1): 95-107.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15426432.2001.9960283

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

There is a dearth of empirically based literature on spirituality and how it impacts the behavior of violent men. In fact, domestic violence practitioners and researchers often diminish the influence of spirituality in the lives of violent men and assume that violent men, regardless of their ethnicity, can be accurately understood using Eurocentric paradigms that de-emphasize the importance of spirituality. This article reveals that the lack of attention that has been given to spirituality may be negating a significant resource for violent men, especially among African American men. It provides empirical data on the spiritual perspectives of African American and European American men. It also shows that the spiritual energies that promote a sense of wholeness have a significant influence on the level of physical violence used by violent men, regardless of their ethnic identity.