The Relationship Between Spiritual Development and Ethnicity in Violent Men

Spirituality in Violent and Sub stance-Abusing African American Men

“…Dawkins and Williams (1997), in their study on substance abuse among African Americans living in rural environments, discovered that African Americans experience an earlier onset of alcoholism Dexter R. Freeman 9 and other drug problems. Freeman (2001) found that African American men, who were violent in intimate relationships, reported more alcohol related problems than violent men from other ethnic groups.…”

“…As such, counselors must be able to develop a therapeutic environment that invites African Americans to utilize their spiritual and religious resources. Freeman (2001) found that African American men who are violent had a stronger connection to spiritual energy that facilitates a sense of purpose and a relationship with God than violent men from other ethnic groups. Therefore, African American men were more inclined to recognize the significance of their relationship with God and they had a greater sense of meaning in their lives.…”

“…He discovered that as violent men learned to embrace the compassion within them, they are incapable of being violent. This article presumes that both of these emotions, the ability to embrace one's weaknesses and the desire to express compassion, originate from a spiritual ground and the spiritual energies that serve to facilitate the development of a healthy ego (Freeman, 2001;Pearson, 1991;and Washburn, 1995).…”

“…In addition to substance abuse problems, studies have also shown that African Americans have higher rates of domestic violence than other ethnic groups (Caetano et al, 2000;Freeman, 2001). Caetano et al (2001) cited a 1995 national study that concluded that 23 percent of the Black couples, 11.5 percent of the White couples, and 17 percent of the Hispanic couples surveyed admitted to experiencing intimate partner violence within the past year.…”

“…Even though some African Americans have abandoned the religious consciousness that once served as a source of support during times of difficulty, research continues to reflect that a relationship with a divine being and having a sense of purpose is paramount to the African American existence (Freeman, 2001;Martin & Martin, 2002). As such, counselors must be able to develop a therapeutic environment that invites African Americans to utilize their spiritual and religious resources.…”