| Abstract: | A survey of all 13 men's domestic violence treatment groups in North Carolina found that such programs were similar in program philosophy and goals but highly divergent in group struc- ture. All programs utilized a feminist orientation which viewed domestic violence as resulting from socio-cultural and social learn- ing factors. Groups generally focused on the development of anger control, problem solving, and communication skills. Groups dif- fered widely in their agency affiliation, relationship with the court as referral source, degree of structure, leadership patterns, number of members, number of sessions, degree of co-ordination between men's and women's programs; follow-up procedures; and sophisti- cation of program evaluation. The diversity of men's domestic violence group treatment models is a result of grassroots laissez faire program development. This diversity offers opportunities to test the effectiveness of various group approaches. Considerations for men's domestic violence treatment programs are outlined. In addition, the need for systematic program evaluation and a statewide co-ordinating mechanism is dis- cussed. |
