Ralph A. Brown

Characteristics of court-involved men and non-court-involved men who abuse their wives

The characteristics of court involved (CI) (n=86) and non-court-involved (NCI) men (n=42) who abused their wives and attended a treatment program were investigated. The groups experienced similar childhoods concerning family violence. The NCI men had more years of education, were more likely to be employed full-time, and tended to earn more money than the CI men. The NCI men also had more social support and scored higher on interpersonal problems than the CI men. The CI men were more likely to be separated, more reported drinking during their most recent assaultive occasion. Compared to the norms on the Basic Personality Inventory, both groups scored significantly higher on depression, anxiety, feelings of alienation, hypochondriasis, and impulse expression. CI men had higher denial and social introversion scores and NCI men had higher interpersonal problem scores than the norm. These findings have some implications for the planning of treatment programs.

Formulation in groups, or understanding what is going on

This article emphasizes the development of formulations as a framework from which leaders can intervene effectively in assisting groups to work toward their stated goals. The concept of formulation, used as a teaching tool to help students and supervisees conceptualize group issues, is presented, as is a schema whose purpose is to teach steps leading to clear formulations. The schema simplifies, for the purposes of teaching and supervision, the complex process used by experienced group therapists as a basis for interventions. The schema emphasizes perception, affect, cognition, validation, intervention, and evaluation. Here-and-now processes, conscious and unconscious mechanisms, and group affect also are stressed.