The Wayne State University School of Social Work, in conjunction with Family Service, Inc., a family counseling agency serving metropolitan Detroit, will conduct a two-year study to determine which treatment methods are most effective in remedying abusive behavior in domestic situations.

The survey, made possible by an $88,000 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, will examine the views of batterers, their partners and therapists who are involved in the Strategies Against Violent Encounters (SAVE) program sponsored by Family Service. The program, which works with male clients at the agency's eight locations in the metropolitan area, is aimed at reducing domestic violence and increasing accountability for violent actions.

Heading the study, which began this month, will be WSU Professors Arlene Weisz and Beverly Black. Family Service staff members are participating in all aspects of the study. The research mainly will involve interviews and evaluation forms completed by clients and therapists at the agency.

Included in the study will be telephone interviews with battered partners. In addition, researchers will examine court records to determine whether any men who receive counseling through the program become repeat offenders. One goal of the research will be to identify the best ways of encouraging clients not to abandon therapy too early in the process.

Weisz and Black have extensive experience in research of domestic violence. Findings of the study will be shared through conferences, professional meetings and articles in professional journals. Family Service has been treating families involved in domestic violence for more than 25 years. For more information, contact Arlene Weisz at the WSU School of Social Work (313) 577-4409 and Dennis Muzzi at Family Service, Inc., (313) 274-5840.