A Unique Therapeutic Intervention for Abusive Men at Beit Noam: Successes, Boundaries, and Difficulties

This article presents the changes manifested in abusive men following therapy at Beit Noam (BN), a therapeutic-learning framework designed to stop violent behavior and inculcate alternative behavioral patterns. The research consists of 3 years (1996-1999) of data gathering on 65 men who were treated at BN, through personal interviews, questionnaires and observations during group therapy. The primary research findings show that the results of the therapeutic process are: (a) the physical abuse stopped and other forms of abuse diminished to a great extent; (b) the men's awareness of their abuse and its effects on their life heightened; (c) the men's behavior with their partners and children became calmer and the possibility of dialog was created; and (d) the therapy enhanced ability to cope with crises in the family framework. We identified and conceptualized six dimensions that together contribute to the success of the therapy, which were structured at BN based on past experience and analysis of the literature in this field. The importance of this conceptualization is in the ability to design future therapeutic frameworks for abusive men.