Marianne is a licensed mental health counselor who is certified to conduct court-mandated therapy sessions for people who have been convicted of domestic violence. Marianne has five years of experience as a BIP (batterer’s intervention program) counselor, and before that, worked for the Department of Children and Families as an advocate for five years. Marianne knows that per Florida Statute 741.325, all BIPs must meet the following requirements:
(a) The primary purpose of the program shall be victim safety and the safety of children if present.
(b) The batterer shall be held accountable for acts of domestic violence.
(c) The program shall be at least 29 weeks in length and include 24 weekly sessions, plus appropriate intake, assessment, and orientation programming.
(d) The program content shall be based on a cognitive behavioral therapy model or psychoeducational model that addresses tactics of power and control by one person over another.
In addition, Florida’s administrative code states that (1) The program curriculum shall be based on an intervention model that recognizes domestic violence as the result of one person in an intimate relationship systematically using tactics of emotional and physical abuse in order to maintain power and control over the other. The curriculum shall incorporate the following elements:
(a) An educational approach that assigns responsibility for the violence solely to the batterer and provides a strategy for assisting the batterer in taking responsibility for the violence,
(b) Content that encourages the participant to develop critical thinking skills that will allow the participant to rethink their behavior and identify behavior choices other than violence,
(c) Content that supports the belief that domestic violence is primarily a learned behavior,
(d) Content that supports the belief that domestic violence is not provoked or the result of substance abuse,
(e) Content designed to improve the batterer’s ability to identify and articulate feelings,
(f) Content designed to improve communication skills and listening with empathy,
(g) Content designed to improve negotiation and conflict resolution skills,
(h) Content that challenges stereotypical gender role expectations,
(i) Content that includes strategies for helping the batterer to develop and improve support systems,
(j) Content that identifies the effects of distorted thinking on emotions and behavior,
(k) Content that identifies the effects of domestic violence on children, and
(l) Content that includes information on the relationship of substance abuse to domestic violence.
(2) The program curriculum shall not include the following elements:
(a) Content that includes couples, marriage or family therapy, or any manner of victim participation,
(b) Content that includes anger management techniques that identify anger as the cause of domestic violence,
(c) Content that includes theories or techniques that identify poor impulse control as the primary cause of the domestic violence or identify psychopathology on the part of either party as a primary cause of domestic violence,
(d) Content that includes fair fighting techniques, and
(e) Content that includes faith-based ideology associated with a particular religion or denomination.
The 15 members of her current group have all been convicted of domestic violence, and all were ordered to complete an intervention program, so they are not there by choice. Marianne has carefully explained the rules for participation and successful completion to all group members. She has also introduced information to the group relating to violence as learned behavior and has asked members to identify different ways to manage their emotions.
While none of the group members chose to be in the group, Marianne has noted that several members have begun to demonstrate some willingness to take personal responsibility for their behavior and their role in the relationship problems that led to their referral. Two group members have even asked her for more information about their communication skills and have thanked her for the information she has shared. However, one group member, Bob, has been particularly disruptive during each session. He came late to two sessions and tried to derail each session by challenging everything Marianne said. On two occasions, Marianne had to remind him that if he is discharged from the program for missing sessions and disrupting the ones he attends, he will be in violation of the terms of his probation.
During one of the sessions, Bob started yelling at Marianne when she explained that Bob could not require his ex-wife to attend the meetings with him. Marianne tried to refocus Bob by asking him to compose himself and focus on his emotions. She reminded him that he cannot blame his wife; instead, he must take ownership of his feelings. At that point, Bob screamed at Marianne, telling her she was “just like his ex-wife.” He then went on to threaten to hurt her if she did not call his ex-wife, whom he blamed for having been prosecuted for domestic violence. Two of the other group members tried to de-escalate the situation by telling Bob that “everyone just wants to get on with the meeting” and asking him to “please sit down.” Instead, Bob kicked a chair and threatened them as well. At that point, Marianne called the police, who escorted Bob from the premises.
Use French and Raven’s power typology to discuss the power dynamics in the BIP session just described.
Be sure to identify the relevant forms of power and indicate which person or persons have used power and in what ways. Be sure to provide specific examples.
For example, if you think that the scenario shows that Marianne has referent power, say how and in what way.
Hint: Most of French and Raven’s power bases will apply to this situation, but some will be more applicable than others.
Please stay focused on power dynamics as they played out in the scenario.
Do not extrapolate to domestic violence in general.
Do not introduce domestic violence statistics.
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