Anderson & Anderson Factoid #2
There are many courts throughout the nation that do not distinguish between anger management and domestic violence batterer’s intervention. There is a difference, and it is well known to domestic violence victim services as well as the United States Justice Department.
Domestic violence is legally defined as violence that occurs in an intimate relationship. It can be male, female, gay, lesbian or heterosexual. Anger is not a necessary prerequisite for domestic violence.
Road rage, airport rage, desk rage, violence in organized sports, simple battery, and person-directed violence are examples of unacceptable or uncontrollable anger. These and other similar situations indicate the need for anger management. Anger management is a class that teaches skills in recognizing and managing anger, stress, communication and emotional intelligence.
It is neither appropriate nor useful to domestic violence defendants in anger management classes, nor is it appropriate to place road rage defendants in domestic violence classes.
For assistance with family/domestic violence, click here.
For anger management resources, click any of the links below:
www.andersonservices.com, www.angermanagement-resources.org, www.aaamp.org
George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF
posted by George Anderson at 5:30 PM
1 Comments:
You are absolutely correct when you say that it is inappropriate to place batterers in anger management classes. Some abusers are, in fact, so sadistic that they make habitual abuse a daily leisure. I have been a witness to such a fact. One must take a look at the circumstances before deciding who belongs where. For instance, if someone were to slap her or his spouse for the very first time and blame such actions on stress or frustration, it would likely make enough sense to conclude that this individual needs anger management intervention. But let's suppose you know someone who is constantly abusing their significant other or child, and that individual makes a habit of doing so without the victim having done anything to arouse stress in that person. It would not make any sense to refer that individual to an anger management class. One must look at all other possible causes. We know that, although people are naturally inclined to do things that may not be in the best interests of others, no one is naturally inclined to cause physical harm to others at birth. One cause of domestic abuse that I can think of off of the top of my head is that of intergenerational transmission. People who were abused as children are more likely to become abusers than those who were not. But wait a minute! Isn't it probable that as these individuals abuse their families, they are reminded of the pain that they experienced at the hands of their abusers? Anger can be a part of that. But let's suppose that abuse is a cultural phenomenon of a particular society, such that violence is a norm to be used at one's will. Anger is NOT always a part of that kind of exchange. Regardless of where the waters are clear and where they are murky, the safest thing to do would be to refer abusive individuals to a type of program that can address such issues and ultimately work to destroy whatever bridge that connects domestic abusers to their violent tendencies. This is where Domestic Violence Intervention comes in. I don't need to get into how important it is for people to recognize that their loved ones are autonomous beings and must remain so. Many people know that control does not equal love. Control by way of abuse equals hate. The point I am trying to make is that batterers must be challenged and helped in a setting that is specialized towards the issue of domestic violence. Anger, as you have said many times before, is natural. Domestic violence is not! The fact remains that the two can, and often, exist in mutually exclusive circumstances.
4:58 PM
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