Group Therapy Intervention for Male Batterers: A Microethnographic Study

Treatment of male batterers has been a controversial issue for study and practice in the field of behavioral health care. Empirical evidence on success of treatment of male abusers is mixed. Little is known about what makes a treatment successful for an individual abusive man. Knowledge of how batterers learn and change in therapy and how they apply this learning in their day-to-day lives can be useful in designing successful treatments. The microethnographic study of a group therapy for male batterers discussed in this article describes change processes in abusers and examines the dynamics of unsuccessful processes. In doing so, this study provides a useful evaluation of group therapy as it is offered to batterers. The authors conclude by discussing the implications of microethnographic methods for social work students learning to evaluate their practice.