Elements facilitating reference
Take the client’s worries into account and share pertinent information
Many people are apprehensive about asking for help from an organization specialized in domestic violence:
- Fear of being judged, denigrated, labeled
- Doubts regarding their ability to engage and fully profit from the program
They might need to be reassured regarding:
- How they will be received
- Delays
- How our services work (including costs)
- Confidentiality
They might also benefit from general information regarding how previous participants evaluated our programs.
According to research published by Rinfret-Raynor et al. (2001), the main gains mentioned by participants were:
- Becoming fully aware of their violence problem
- Ability to control their anger
- New strategies to stop using violence
- Learning how to communicate more effectively
- Be more assertive, without being aggressive
- Stop ruminating conflicts
- Improve relations with their relatives and friends in general
In the research published by Lindsay et al. (2006), it appears that those elements were the most appreciated and helpful for the participants:
- Knowledge of oneself
- Universality and information sharing
- Developing hope
- Feeling accepted and treated in a respectful manner
- Confidentiality
Use the motivation of the client
People requesting services from an organization for people with violent behaviors generally report being motivated by the desire to fill the following needs:
- Assess their situation
- Learn to better know oneself
- Rebuild hope
- Get support, a good listener, and good advices
- Go through a crisis
- Better deal with stress and difficult situations
- Improve the quality of their couple relationship
- Avoid hurting their loved-ones
- Control their anger
- Break the intergenerational transmission cycle
- Stop being afraid of themselves
- Avoid criminal penalties or interventions from Youth Protection