Jac Brown

Shame and domestic violence: treatment perspectives for perpetrators from self psychology and affect theory*

Perpetrators of domestic violence have traditionally been seen as an undeserving client group when considered in relation to the victims of their violence. Apart from anger management and psycho-educational groups for male perpetrators, very few other treatment options have been suggested. In treating couples, Goldner (1998) has advocated holding men accountable for their violence while at the same time utilizing concepts from attachment theory to provide treatment for them. This paper draws mainly upon self psychology and the affect theory literature to better understand the underlying dynamics of violent behaviour in intimate relationships, with particular reference to the role of shame as a precursor of violence. Qualitative data linking shame and violence were drawn from interviews with men attending a group for their violent behaviour. I argue that treatment may focus at the level of shame and its connection to violence, and that this may require working with the individual perpetrator, rather than the couple, in order to adequately address the issue of violence. I suggest some general guidelines for working with violent men that incorporate aspects of shame.

Shame, internalized homophobia, Identity formation, Attachment style, and the connection to relationship status in gay men

This study reports on a survey of 166 gay men in Sydney, Australia, that explores the links between internalized shame, internalized homophobia, and attachment style. These variables were linked to the age of coming out, family and peer acceptance of their sexuality, relationship status, and previous marriage. Findings suggest a strong relationship between shame, internalized homophobia, and anxious and avoidant attachment style. Shame was predicted by internalized homophobia and anxious and avoidant attachment style. A significant proportion of gay men reported that they were not easily accepted when they first came out. There was a significant relationship between coming out and internalized homophobia but not with shame and attachment style. Furthermore, men who had never come out to family and friends reported higher levels of internalized homophobia but not higher levels of shame and attachment style. Of particular significance was the connection between previous marriage and higher levels of shame and internalized homophobia. Finally, gay men who were not currently in a relationship reported higher levels of shame anxious and avoidant attachment style. These findings are related to therapeutic work with gay men who have previously been married and those who are concerned with their current single status.

The Maudsley Model of Family‐Based Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa: A Qualitative Evaluation of Parent‐to‐Parent Consultation

This article describes the qualitative analysis of a randomized control trial that explores the use of parent-to-parent consultations as an augmentation to the Maudsley model of family-based treatment for anorexia. Twenty families were randomized into two groups, 10 receiving standard treatment and 10 receiving an additional parent-to-parent consultation. Parents of all families were interviewed regarding their experience of treatment and transcripts were analyzed with the assistance of QSR N-Vivo. Parents described parent-to-parent consultations as an intense emotional experience that helped them to feel less alone, to feel empowered to progress, and to reflect on changes in family interactions. These results suggest that parent-to-parent consultations are seen as a useful augmentation to the Maudsley model of family-based treatment for anorexia nervosa.

An Integrated Identification and Intervention Model for Intellectually Gifted Children

Gifted children who do not achieve often have problems with motivation and socioemotional adjustment and may also have learning disabilities. This article examines factors such as attachment difficulties and maternal depression as these may contribute to underachievement. The article reviews past and current practices of gifted identification and argues that schools have an important role in the early identification of socioemotional problems and learning difficulties, as these can create barriers to learning and achievement. Although Gagné did include underachievers in his Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent, he has also argued that only achieving children should be included in academic talent development programs, and he supports a separate pathway for gifted underachievers. This article demonstrates that such a pathway can be achieved through an inclusive model for gifted achievers and underachievers. A model involves the early triaging of children through identification of giftedness, socioemotional problems, and learning difficulties.

Homonegativity and its Relationship to Religiosity, Nationalism and Attachment Style

This study investigated the relationships between negative attitudes towards homosexuals and two traditional ideologies: religiosity and nationalism, and explored the link with attachment style. An Internet survey yielded 290 participants, of highly diverse ages, nationalities, and religious backgrounds. The participants provided demographic details, and completed measures of adult attachment, nationalism, religiosity, and both explicit and implicit measures of homonegativity. The results indicated that both nationalism and religiosity were highly significant predictors of homonegativity. In the religious group, homonegativity and religiosity were positively related. This finding was greater for less securely attached individuals. Avoidance moderated the relationship in religious females, while anxiety moderated the relationship in religious males. No significant attachment moderation was found between the nationalism–homonegativity relationships.

Male perpetrators, the gender symmetry debate, and the rejection-abuse cycle : implications for treatment

This review article examined the gender symmetry debate in light of recent research relating to the feminist and family research perspectives on intimate partner violence, providing a context for rethinking perpetrator programs. The concept of coercive control is considered as an explanatory factor in an attempt to integrate the feminist and family research perspectives. The limited effectiveness of perpetrator programs is examined. Research highlighting potential factors that could improve the effectiveness of perpetrator programs is introduced, followed by a discussion of the rejection–abuse cycle, one attempt to incorporate current research into a more inclusive program. The rejection–abuse cycle identifies a pattern of perpetrator behavior, which links rejection, threat to self, defense against threat, and abuse. Finally, suggestions for changing perpetrator programs are elaborated, incorporating past research, which would make them appropriate for both male and female perpetrators. These implications are contextualized within a meta-theory to provide greater clarity for the development of future perpetrator programs.

Qualitative Review of Community Treatment With Sex Offenders: Perspective of the Offender and the Expert

Despite growing research in the area, there remains much uncertainty about the effectiveness of community-based treatments for sexual offenders. The present study aims to add to the literature by evaluating an existing Sydney-based group community programme in two ways. First, eight prior participants of the programme were interviewed, and themes that emerged were analysed using qualitative methods. The participants discussed their treatment experiences and personal development following treatment. The eight participants discussed what aspects of the programme they found helpful and unhelpful. These areas were then matched with the opinions of four experts on the effectiveness of sex offender treatment. The findings are reviewed with reference to the current literature available and in terms of implications for future treatment. We conclude by providing some suggestions about how to improve community-based sex offender treatment programmes by focusing on motivational processes within treatment.

Psychotherapy Integration: Systems Theory and Self-Psychology.

This article highlights the distinction between integration and eclecticism, arguing for an integration in teaching psychotherapy by using a meta-theory. The traditional approach of presenting a sequential range of therapy models may inadvertently advocate an eclectic approach. It begins with a brief consideration of the integration literature, elaborating a meta-theory for integration. This is followed with the presentation of a meta-theory as an integrative tool for teaching the divergent models of systems theory and self-psychology. Using this meta-theory, an example is presented which conceptualizes the presenting problems of a couple. Finally, a plan for using the integration is discussed.

Counselling psychology in Australia

Counselling psychology in Australia is a relatively young profession. Nevertheless, in its short existence Australian Counselling Psychology has had to deal with a number of the issues facing counselling psychologists around the world. We have borrowed from the experience of other countries, particularly that of the United States of America, in establishing this specialization but have developed a relatively coherent model across the country. In this paper we will discuss the current status of counselling psychology, outline the main themes that appear to be salient in the Australian literature on counselling psychology, link these to the main issues involved in training, and relate these training issues to how the universities who train counselling psychologists have dealt with them.

Factors Related to Domestic Violence in Asia: The Conflict between Culture and Patriarchy

While most research on domestic violence (DV) has focused on the West, there is an increasing interest in DV in Asian countries. This article explores the extent of DV against women in areas where most of the research has been conducted, including South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. The factors associated with DV in the Asian region is explored through the Heise model that considers four levels of analysis, including personal factors, the microsystem, the exosystem, and the macrosystem. The analysis points to the importance of the patriarchal culture that is inextricably linked to culture that is resistant to change and must be addressed at a range of levels.