The social and cultural value of keeping a family together, even at great cost, is both a strength and a weakness. The great value is the motivation and commitment that families may bring to transforming family conflict, provided they have the willingness to acknowledge the issues. The great risk is that families will tolerate destructive patterns in the family relationships. These values and risks also apply to interventions by third parties, including peacebuilders and local authorities.
1. It may be common for families and third parties to fail to understand basic concepts of family violence or the reconciliation process. PFP KASH should include helping participants look deeply at their own family habits of reconciliation, as well as construct culturally appropriate models of family reconciliation that honors everyone involved, protects basic rights, and is founded on a solid understanding of family violence issues.
The case studies also illustrated situations in which the CCMT KASH had limited effect. These complicated family dynamics are ones that many peacebuilders will interact with, if not in their own families then in other families in their communities, and therefore bear mentioning.
2. Chronic abusive situations, including those in which relatives or other influential people encourage continuation of the marriage. While several aspects of the CCMT KASH are relevant to therapeutic interventions for the abusive personality (e.g., cognitive therapies), peacebuilders do not get extensive training in these therapies or their specific application to family violence. NOTE: this limitation could be potentially overcome through increased experience, expertise, and special training over the long-term.
3. Addictions within the family (alcohol, drug, etc). Problem identification can become much more difficult for persons with a family member who maintains an addiction, especially if the person will not admit it.
4. Tendencies for attempts at understanding/empathetic listening to be only one-sided (used by only one spouse, so that the KASH are not effective in allowing all family members to get their needs met), as well as forgiveness as an excuse to overlook recurring problems.
5. Trauma, given the prevalence of state-sponsored violence in the past and family violence in the present, will frequently be a factor in family conflict and violence.
6. Building on the value that healthy families ask for help when they need it, PFP lessons should cultivate knowledge and attitudes about these limitations, as well as help peacebuilders create networks and referral systems.
