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Dialogical Views on Partner Abuser Treatment: Balancing Confrontation and Support

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Abstract

Treatment programs for intimately abusive men seek to stop and prevent partner and family violence by applying a variety of methods based on different disciplinary premises. For professionals working with this particular group of clients, the challenge is to combine therapeutic understanding and support with adequate efforts to make clients stop and reconsider their behavior. This qualitative study investigated conversations within a Finnish abuser treatment program in which an integrative treatment approach was applied. A detailed study of videotaped conversations within a 15-week therapy program was conducted through Dialogical Investigations, a method specifically designed for studying interactions in multiple-actor settings. The findings demonstrate how dialogical investigations can assist in evaluations of the efficacy of abuser treatment programs. Consideration is also given to facilitators’ working style, and some examples of how the two dominant approaches in abuser treatment can be successfully combined are provided.

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Correspondence to Eveliina Rasanen.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Transcription Symbols

The transcription notation system for data segments presented here was developed by Gail Jefferson (see Atkinson and Heritage 1984, pp. ix–xvi).

Description of symbols used in the transcription:

::

Colon(s): Extended or stretched sound, syllable, or word.

_:

Underlining: Vocalic emphasis.

(.):

Micropause: Brief pause of less than (0.2).

(1):

Timed Pause: Intervals occurring within and between same or different speaker’s utterances

(( )):

Double Parentheses: Scenic details.

( ):

Single Parentheses: Transcriptionist doubt.

↑ ↓:

Arrows: Pitch resets; marked rising and falling shifts in intonation.

=:

Equal Signs: Latching of contiguous utterances, with no interval or overlap.

[ ]:

Brackets: Speech overlap.

[[:

Double Brackets: Simultaneous speech orientations to prior turn.

-:

Hyphens: Halting, abrupt cut off of sound or word.

CAPS::

Extreme loudness compared with surrounding talk.

° °:

Degree Signs: A passage of talk noticeably softer than surrounding talk.

.hhh:

Audible outbreaths

hhh:

Audible inhalations

Appendix 2

(IX, 1366–1383)

Heikki: (1) it just comes into my mind that (.) it could be that for a child it could also be a positive learning experience that it somehow (.) sees violence with the (3) seriousness of violence (which) I mean in those circumstances where (.) violence has negative consequences (then) people sort of (1) feel sorry about it and (.) try to (2) with discussion and (.) morality (.) to put the situation right Sam: mmm (2) I see it (.) as good that (.) my children they (.) they speak really openly to me about violence that they .hhh they could [just] be [quiet and] (2) but each of them (.) they speak to me openly about it F2: .hhh well there (1) can say that research shows that family violence is- (.) is not in a way [that] good a learning experience as regards violence.

Appendix 3

(III, 1639–1679)

F2: (3) well we have to (1) finish soon how’s this time felt (3) does anybody feel that (.) he has talked too much or

Heikki: (3) no-o I guess that bit by bit one starts to get to the topic here hhh perhaps

F2: mmm

Marko: yeah one starts to get to know the group (1) dares to start talking too

F2: is there (1) in this group enough (2) confidence that everybody dares to talk

Esa: (3) I do

Matti: (yeah) me too (I do) ((talks quietly))

F2: (1) mmm (2) so that there isn’t (.) this kind of (.) lack of confidence

Heikki: (3) no lack of confidence but I still have a some sort of a (1) unsure feeling about how much one dares (.) about oneself ((laughs))

Esa: last time we just talked about (.) what one thinks after leaving here (.) did I talk more than

Heikki: yeah, one starts to think about one’s own story and (.) forgets that there’re any others here (.) cases

F2: so that one doesn’t take up too much space (.) is it (2) have you felt now that you take up too much space

Heikki: no no (.) [and] I think I’ve kept ((laughs)) my mouth (.) quite well

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Rasanen, E., Holma, J. & Seikkula, J. Dialogical Views on Partner Abuser Treatment: Balancing Confrontation and Support. J Fam Viol 27, 357–368 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9427-3

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