FEATURE: Foundation helps perpetrators of domestic violence

After his wife started working, 57-year-old Ming-hsiung (明雄), who declined to give his last name, felt threatened by her successful career and resorted to violence against her.

Rather than avoid his problematic relationship with his wife, Ming-hsiung acknowledged his anger and sought help from Taipei City's Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Center several months ago.

Seeking to prevent domestic violence, the center became the first local violence prevention center to turn its attention from victims to perpetrators.

It cooperates with the Teacher Chang Foundation, a social welfare group that provides family education, in giving free counseling to Ming-hsiung and, since May, two dozen others.

FOCUS SHIFT

"Perpetrators of domestic violence have been seen as the bad guys, but there are many reasons behind domestic violence. Perpetrators have their vulnerable sides, and they also need care and counseling," foundation director Huang Cheng-hsu (黃正旭) said.

Statistics from the center show that more than 90 percent of perpetrators are male, with only two perpetrators being female, including a 70-year-old woman whose verbal and psychological abuse of her husband over a disagreement concerning a family property issue forced him to file a restraining order.

As her children stood by their father, the woman felt betrayed and wronged by her family before accepting counseling and trying to shift her attention away by talking to friends or shopping, said Wu Li-yi (吳俐儀), a social worker at the foundation who counseled the woman.

After weeks of counseling, Wu said the perpetrator, whom Wu declined to name, was able to communicate with her husband and children despite the disagreement.

Ming-hsiung, on the other hand, said he now understands that his wife went to work to ease his burden as the sole breadwinner in the family, rather than to challenge his role as man of the house.

Although most perpetrators agree to receiving counseling, confronting their violent tendencies remains difficult. Male perpetrators tend to blame the problem on the victims, their family background and traditional values that honor men and belittle women, Huang said.

VALUES

Information provided by the center showed that the major cause of domestic violence included traditional values in a patriarchal society, cultural differences and miscommunication between husband and wife.

Most perpetrators are caught in a vicious cycle, as more than 80 percent of them are remarried, with 9 percent have been married at least three times, statistics show.

Only a few perpetrators, like Ming-hsiung, acknowledge their problem and actively seek help, with many others having been referred to the center by the judicial system, other domestic violence centers and women's protection associations, said Chiang Hsin-hui (江幸慧), the director of the center.

"Providing perpetrators counseling services is a challenge. However, we are hoping that they seek the service voluntarily, rather than being forced to do so," Chiang said.

The Ministry of the Interior has on occasion used restraining orders to force perpetrators of domestic violence to receive counseling.

In order to make the perpetrators feel more comfortable seeking help, Chiang said the center and the foundation have abandoned group therapy, which is popular in many countries, and provided one-on-one services instead.

The center also provides legal assistance on divorce and ownership battles.

"They love the legal assistance sessions because they learn about their rights. But for us, legal advice is a strategy to keep them coming back for counseling," Chiang said.

"Our ultimate goal remains to change their behavior and help them control their anger," she said.

Until now, government and civil assistance were given to victims of domestic violence, with the Legal Aid Foundation providing free legal service to victims, while the Modern Women Foundation, Garden of Hope Foundation and the Hualien Good Shepherd Center provide victims with counseling services and temporary residence in their emergency shelters.

Chiang urged perpetrators or people with violent tendencies to seek assistance from the center.

The service hotline is (02) 2717-2990 extension 47.