Exploring the Goal Statements of Men in a Solution-Focused Intimate Partner Violence Treatment Group Using Self-Determination Theory

Background: Men represent 90% of batterers who come before court mandated treatment programs (Feder & Wilson, 2005). One typical outcome is for men to be referred to a mandatory batterer intervention program (BIP). Within the batterer intervention field, there has been a small important paradigm shift that has drawn on the notion of goals setting with these men using Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). Beyond goal setting, factors that influence and motivate mens’ need to change while in the BIP remain understudied. Using a self-determination theory lens, this study explored whether portions of goal statements of men referred to BIP contained thematic content of autonomy, competence, and relatedness; three basic human psychological needs that are thought to be an influence in one’s motivation to change.

Methods: The sample size was 68 cases of men who had completed an eight week court-supported SFBT, IPV intervention program in the southwest part of the US. The mean age of the participants was 35 years. Ethnicities included African American (44%), Caucasian (35%), Hispanic (24%), Asian (3%), and Other (7%). Over three fourths of the sample were employed full-time (78%). Seventy-one percent were fathers whereas 29% were not. All participants in the program completed an initial assessment including questions that addressed their personal goal(s) for the program. Two questions were analyzed at baseline and exit respectively. These questions were; (1) what is your goal statement (baseline); (2) what has improved since you began working on this goal (exit). Men wrote the goal statements in their own words and these goals were typed and entered in their individual case files by the clinical counselor. Only individuals who completed the goal statements were included in the final sample. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the goal statements. The goal and improvement statements were all rated for the presence of the three psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness

Results: At baseline, men identified goals that showed a desire to fulfill the needs of competence that is, to develop their skills more. At follow up, mens’ improvement statements reflected a trend towards the need of relatedness; that is men identified how they were or had been connecting more positively with others, primarily their partners and children.

Conclusion and Implications: The findings of this exploratory study suggest that it was possible to identify the needs of autonomy, competency, and relatedness in the goal statements of men referred to a solution-focused treatment group because of IPV. Further, this study found that the specific needs of men were dissimilar from their baseline statements when asked what had improved in their lives following participation in the group. Self-determined theory and solution-focused brief therapy together may explain some of the changes in mens’ reported behavior that were competency and relationship centered and non-violent. Future inclusion of self-determined needs may represent an opportunity towards new shifts in research and practice with this population.