Abstract
Having acknowledged the more commonly used terms of domestic violence and intimate partner violence, as well as elaborated on the connotation of each term, Harway and Hansen keep Spouse Abuse as the title of their second edition. In this edition, Harway and Marsali build on their purpose of providing hands-on training for clinicians at a variety of levels. Their years of experience working with individuals and families of family violence are evident as they demonstrate strategies for assessing and treating issues of intimate partner violence. From reading this book, psychologists obtain a general view of the complexity of intimate partner abuse, its impact on individuals in the family, and assessment and treatment methods for working with individuals and families who have experienced intimate partner abuse. This book provides information on essential aspects of dealing effectively with issues related to intimate violence, especially for clinicians who are not familiar with or have not been trained in this area.
In Chapter 1 the authors argue the importance of understanding intimate partner violence by providing various statistics on its prevalence and impact on individuals and families, especially on women and children. Readers can assess their knowledge about partner violence by taking a self-quiz before proceeding to a discussion of assessments and treatments. Harway and Hansen provide a rationale for the correct answers to the self-quiz, which helps readers understand the different aspects of intimate violence and assessment and treatment suggestions.
The authors give practical and comprehensive suggestions about how to detect evidence of intimate partner violence during the intake interview. The authors elaborate in detail on battered women's psychological reactions, concerns, and struggles, and on how to be sensitive to their needs and fears. They also caution clinicians to be aware of the feelings and psychological aspects of the batterers, the abused, and their children. In this book, clinicians can find helpful tips on how to conduct a sensitive and skillful systematic inquiry.
The other strength of this book is its discussion of treatment strategies. The authors support their treatment models with case examples that assist readers' comprehension of each treatment. Harway and Hansen caution that leaving the violent partner is not usually the first choice of battered women; women want to stop the violence, not the relationship. They suggest that clinicians focus on empowering women with a safe plan and allow women to gain power—a crucial aspect of abused women's recovery.
The authors raise considerations regarding cultural issues early in the book, but they fail to acknowledge culture differences and incorporate these aspects (i.e., racial, ethnic, spiritual) into discussion of assessment and treatment. For example, they state that “battered women who continued in their relationships had a more external locus of control than did either battered women who left the relationship or women not in battering relationships” (p. 40). This may not be true for individuals from cultures that value hierarchy or harmony in the family and marriage, or in cultures, especially in some Asian countries, in which individuals often prefer to resolve problems among family members (Kim, 1996; Leung & Boehnlein, 1996; Matsui, 1996). Women from these cultural environments may choose to stay in their relationship for harmony's sake or to handle the violence themselves for fear of losing face.
Recent research interest has also been extended to the religion-family connection (Ellison & Anderson, 1999). Nason-Clark (1997) and Wendt and Cheers (2002) found that internalized religious beliefs and cultural values were related to decisions about leaving or staying in abusive relationships. Christian values, beliefs, and attitudes that women learned from Christian doctrine and their church community encouraged them to remain in their situations longer than they might have in different cultural contexts (Nason-Clark, 1997; Wendt & Cheers, 2002). However, many of those women also spoke about how they were strengthened by their personal religious beliefs to persevere and endure with their relationships. Thus, religion can be an asset as well as a hindrance to women seeking help (Kroeger & Nason-Clark, 2001; Nason-Clark, 1997). Psychologists need to be sensitive to the impact of religious beliefs on women's perception of marriage or commitment and know when they can assist battered women to access spiritual resources.
Overall, Spouse Abuse is an important resource for those working with issues involved with intimate partner violence or abuse. Harway and Hansen, with their excellent knowledge of and abundant experiences working with families of intimate partner violence, provide readers with necessary foundational information. By keeping in mind aspects of cultural difference, mental health workers can easily apply the authors' suggestions to the family violence situations they may encounter.