GOING BEYOND GENDER-SPECIFIC TREATMENTS IN WIFE BATTERING - PRO-FEMINIST COUPLE AND FAMILY-THERAPY

There has been lingering debate as to whether couple and family treatm ents should be employed in situations of conjugal violence. The purpos e of this paper is to highlight the theoretical and clinical issues at the center of this controversy, and to offer an argument for the sequ ential use of relationship therapies as a ''second phase'' to follow g ender-specific individual and group treatments of perpetrators of viol ence and their partners. Basic elements of pro-feminist couple and fam ily treatment are described. Key intake questions, as a prelude to mar ital and family treatment, are suggested to assess the appropiateness of relationship therapies and to protect victim safety. (C) 1998 Elsev ier Science Ltd.