Aligning With Small Acts of Self-Correction in Violence-Focused Therapy With Men

Abstract

Treatment of men who have been abusive has often been coercive in its own way, relying as it does on a stereotypical representation of the men as bent solely on domination and destruction. In this article, we propose that the men are much more complex in their presentation of self and adept at transitioning between effects-based and response-based representations of their actions as they negotiate changing social and conversational contexts. We introduce the concept of a moral wobble between these two discursive domains as men seek to align their actions with their own values and their understanding of prevailing social mores. These small acts of self-correction provide an opportunity to join the men in their own anti-violence initiatives. Our goal is to offer front-line workers a framework for responding effectively regardless of whether service users choose to represent themselves as taking or deflecting responsibility for their violence.