Reaching for a Good Life: A Group Program for Abusive Men KAREN M NIELSEN, PHD, RSW (CLINICAL)

The Reaching for a Good Life: A Program for Men who Batter The focus  Based on The Good Lives Model (GLM) of offender rehabilitation (Ward & Brown, 2004)  Identifies strengths and resiliency rather than deficits and pathology  Emphasizes respect not shame. Three Principles  People are more likely to make positive changes (moving toward a positive goal) than a negative change (moving away from a problematic behavior.) ( Feist & Feist, 2006).  People have some level of awareness of what they want in life i.e., they have motivating “good life “goals.  It is not the goals that are a problem but the means by which the people attempt to attain their “good life” goals.

The Program  Program has four phases : Orientation, Intake, Group Modules, and a Post-program evaluation.  Each group module is self-contained and lasts for four sessions.  Individuals may join the group at the beginning of each module. The four group modules  Emotional communication,  Managing arousal,  Ethics and values,  Personal power.

The Program  All participants complete a testing package prior to commencing group  In the first year, those who completed the sixteen sessions of the RFGL program are asked to complete the post-group test package and to book an interview with the program designers to discuss their experiences with the program

Psychological and Attitudinal Tests 1. The Personality Assessment Inventory (Morey, 1991) 2. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-A) ◦ The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function is a self-report inventory ◦ Measures an individual’s perception of their ability to survey & organize information, formulate a plan, set goals, keep track of progress toward goals, anticipate problems and modifying goals and plans accordingly. ◦ 9 scales relate to specific executive functioning skills: Inhibit, Shift, Emotional Control, Self- Monitoring, Initiate, Working Memory, Plan/Organize, Task Monitor and Organization of Materials. ◦ The scales are further grouped into 2 broader indexes: the Behavioral Regulation Index (Inhibit, Shift, Emotional Control, and Self-monitoring) and the Meta-cognition Index (Initiate, Working Memory, Plan/Organize, Task Monitor & Organization of Materials). ◦ These indexes combine for an overall summary score, the Global Executive Composite. ◦ There are 3 validity indexes (i.e., Negativity, Infrequency and Inconsistency) 3. The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). A 29-item inventory with 4 subscales (Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility )..

Post Group The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire 24 participants attended a post treatment, semi-structured interview:  Participants provided feedback on what they found helpful  What they believed changed in their lives,  The feedback they experienced about their behavior changes  How they maintained any changes. The transcripts of these interviews were subjected to a thematic analysis and emerging themes were recorded.

Quantitative Results

Qualitative Data Major Themes: More than 50% of the Participants I have less negative thinking and my perceptions of friends, family and others has changed “I listen to my wife now before I wouldn’t listen to her points. It was all about me making my points” “I am more involved in family activities” “ I am a better boss now, I teach and mentor rather than dismiss and get frustrated

Themes I am aware that others have noticed the change and people are no longer afraid of me “My wife and kids aren’t walking on eggshells anymore” ‘Before group the boss was scared to phone because I would blow up’ ‘Before group my family feared me, my answer used to be to punch their lights out’ ‘My case worker told me that 3 months ago I was scary and she was concerned about being in the same room as me, now she is helping me to get my kids back’

Themes Better Arousal Management “I learned to think before speaking and not with my lizard brain” “I’m stopping and thinking now, not reacting” “It never occurred to me before to monitor my levels, I was like a boiling kettle’ “I stop and think, not reacting, not being so “in your face” “I am calmer now, I don’t yell as much. Not reactive, thinking ahead”

Themes More Emotional Awareness and Getting in Touch with My Personal Values “I am not sweating the small stuff” “I am calmer now, I stop and smell the flowers” “I am less paranoid and less resentful” “I am feeling more mature in my relationships” “I am working on patience”

More Themes Arousal Management Practice “I put stickers on mirrors as reminders.” “I have been breathing more lately”. [relaxation breathing] “ I am doing breathing exercises every day”

More Themes Balance between Work and Play “I no longer work such long hours” “I try to balance my work and not work so much overtime” “ Thinking about balance between work and l was helpful”

Other Themes Increased Communication Skills “I learned that healthy relationships need trust and that I bottled my feelings” “I learned to say things in more than one way” “I use “soft” openings now” “Communication was my issue, I am learning the tools”

Feedback about the group “The facilitators had lots of patience and respect” “It was great. I took an anger management course before and got nothing out of it. This time I did. ‘I feel less alone I am not the only one”. “Learning about power was important” “The group was great no one forces you to say any thing and you don’t get blamed.” “The group gave me tools that were useful, I was hooked the first night

In Closing By the end of the first year, we were encouraged that a Good Lives approach was appropriate for men dealing with family violence..

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