A woman under the influence: An example of multiple victimization within a family |
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| Authors: | Richard C. Bedrosian Steven A. Kagel |
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| Affiliation: | 1. University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia;2. Veterans' Administration Medical Center , Cincinnati |
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| Abstract: | Abstract The interactional processes depicted in rich detail in A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE are examined from a family therapist's viewpoint. Rather than portraying the persecution of a single individual by other members of the family, the film's drama demonstrates that the complex interactions within the extended family victimizes all the participants. When events are examined closely, it becomes clear that even the overt victimizers in the family system suffer as a result of the very processes in which they engage. The discussion of the film underscores the need for the therapist to empathize with all members of a dysfunctional system, especially when one member appears to be the victim. |
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