NCJ Number
57706
Journal
Social Casework Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1979) Pages: 36-42
Date Published
1979
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A GROUP TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR CHILD-ABUSING PARENTS IS DESCRIBED WHICH USES THERAPIST-LED AND SELF-HELP STRATEGIES.
Abstract
THIS TREATMENT PROGRAM EXPLORES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING A GROUP APPROACH WITH COUPLES, RATHER THAN THE MORE USUAL INDIVIDUAL THERAPY WHICH IS THEN EXTENDED INTO COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAMS. TO ASSESS THE VALUE OF A GROUP APPROACH, TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS (COMPOSED OF COUPLES WHO WERE PARENTS IDENTIFIED AS CHILD ABUSERS OR HIGH-RISK PARENTS) WERE BEGUN AT A LARGE U.S. AIR FORCE INSTALLATION. THE GROUPS VARIED BETWEEN THREE AND FIVE COUPLES. TWELVE COUPLES, EACH OF WHOM REMAINED WITH ITS RESPECTIVE GROUP FOR A MINIMUM OF 6 MONTHS TO ABOUT 18 MONTHS, WERE TREATED DURING THE 2-YEAR PERIOD OF THE STUDY. THE GROUPS WERE DIRECTED TO CONCENTRATE FIRST ON THE MARITAL RELATIONSHIP AND SECOND ON CHILD ABUSE. IT WAS FOUND THAT MOST WANTED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR MARRIAGES, AND TO BE GOOD PARENTS. THEY WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO SEE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THEIR BEHAVIOR AS A COUPLE AND THEIR ABILITY TO FUNCTION AS NONABUSING PARENTS. THIRDLY, PARENTS WERE ENCOURAGED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUTUAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND IN THE UTILIZATION OF THE GROUP FOR DECISIONMAKING, A PROCESS WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL; MEMBERS KNEW THEY COULD DEPEND ON EACH OTHER IN A TIME OF CRISIS, AND ALSO WHEN THEY NEEDED SOMEONE SIMPLY TO TALK TO. EVENTUALLY MUTUAL HELP WAS SUPPLIED IN MATERIAL AS WELL AS PSYCHOLOGICAL WAYS. IN DECISIONMAKING, MEMBERS LEARNED FROM EACH OTHER TO SEPARATE EMOTION FROM LOGIC AND GIVE EACH ITS APPROPRIATE FUNCTION WHEN SOLVING PROBLEMS. FOURTHLY, PARENTING SKILLS WERE TAUGHT THROUGH THE GROUP BUT ADDITIONALLY PARENTS WERE REFERRED TO A PARENT EFFECTIVENESS TRAINING GROUP AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR WORK WITHIN THE COUPLES' GROUP. FINALLY, A MALE AND A FEMALE LED EACH GROUP TO MAKE BOTH PARTNERS FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE DURING THE TREATMENT PROGRAM, PROVIDING MODELS FOR THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE GROUP TO FOLLOW. IN ESSENCE, THE THERAPISTS SHOWED THAT THEY ACCEPTED EACH OTHER, APPRECIATED THE SELF-WORTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL, COULD DISAGREE AND STILL LIKE EACH OTHER, AND THAT CONFLICT COULD BE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM WAS SO GREAT THAT IT WAS CONTINUED. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (MHP)