A 40-year-old White male talking with a caseworker at the
domestic violence prevention center.
Social worker: So, tell me more about your experience in the
support group. I know you’ve been attending the sessions for
the past 12 weeks.
Client: Well, it’s okay. Most of the guys are a lot like me.
We want our wives to stay home with the kids. Things would
be better if my wife listened to me and stopped hassling me
so much.
Social worker: You want Lealie to back off and give you some
breathing room.
Client: Definitely. She does things that aggravate me.
Sometimes it feels as if she purposefully pisses me off. Like’s
she just waiting to see what I’ll do next.Social worker: What happens at those times?
Client: It depends. Sometimes I yell. Most of the time I leave
now. I know that if I stick around, I’m likely to do something
that I’ll regret, maybe hit her.
a) Most important aspects of the client’s statement:
I. He attends a batterers support group.
II. He feels as if his wife is purposefully testing him.
III. He has seen some change in his behavior since attending
the group
b) Your summarization responses based on the entire
dialogue:
Now you are able to identify certain situations that
coule lead to hitting Leslie. Through the help of the
support group, you’re learning other ways of
dealing with your wife.