A matter of mental health?: Treatment of perpetrators of domestic violence in denmark and the underlying perception of violence

Abstract

This chapter deals with the largest and most well-known treatment program for violent men in contemporary Denmark from an anthropological perspective.1 Its main purpose is to look into the word treatment and how it shapes our understanding of both the violent men and the phenomenon of domestic violence. In other words, what is seen as the problem in need of solution? How is the problem represented (Bac-chi 1999; 2009)? In this chapter I am going to highlight and analyze the importance of words and their usage in reference to Danish discourses on treatment programs for abusive men.