Facilitating Change in Men Who Are Violent towards Women: Considering the ethics and efficacy of a person-centered approach / Veränderung bei Männern fördern, die Frauen gegenüber gewalttätig sind: Zur Ethik und Wirksamkeiteines personzentrierten Ansatzes / Facilitando el cambio en hombres que son violentos con las mujeres: Considerando la ética y la eficacia de un enfoque centrado en la persona /

Abstract

This paper discusses the utility of the person-centered approach for working with male perpetrators of gender-based violence. It highlights the very limited evidence for the effectiveness of the pro-feminist cognitive behavioral model that characterizes perpetrator programs across the UK, and draws on Gadd's (2004) critique of cognitive behavioral techniques for failing to address the denials that underpin some men's violence and masculine identity. I propose that person-centered therapy, delivered by practitioners with an understanding of gender and power issues, may be an effective alternative for helping violent men to change, without being a soft option. By appraising Rogers' concepts of unconditional acceptance and the change process, I argue that the genuinely empathic, accepting approach works by engaging fully with men's emotional experience and promoting their movement towards self-directed responsible action. These theoretical points merit future research into the use of person-centered practice with violent men.