Reporting, Reflecting and Recognising Emotions in Therapeutic Work with Domestic Violence Perpetrators : Experiences of the Jyväskylä Group Model

Abstract

Emotions are central in therapeutic work, but interventions for violence vary in how they address emotions. While emotional work with perpetrators is often associated with ‘anger management’ and behavioural elements, a more comprehensive view of emotions might be beneficial in efforts to stop and prevent violent behaviour. Perpetrators’ self-regulation can be promoted by recognising and addressing primary feelings (vulnerability, fear, jealousy, etc.) that may manifest as anger and aggressive behaviour. However, this kind of therapeutic work with perpetrators of violence is also challenging for professionals. For example, when working towards ending violence, it is crucial to differentiate between accepting emotions and disapproving of violent behaviour. Furthermore, violence should not be conceptualised as solely a personal problem, as it is also strongly associated with institutional factors such as gender and the societal environment. In this chapter, the authors explore how emotional themes have been addressed in the Jyväskylä model for domestic violence. Three stages of processing emotions emerged from the data: (1) reporting secondary emotions, (2) reflection on primary emotions and (3) recognition of others’ feelings as precondition for victim empathy. We argue that long-term change towards non-violence requires understanding and processing emotions on all three levels.