I appreciate the letter written by Tom Weitzel, the retired Riverside police chief, concerning domestic violence [Domestic violence response must change, Viewpoints, April 10]. There is now research, such as by Sandra L. Brown MA who created the Institute for Relational Harm Reduction and Public Pathology Education. This research indicates the pervasive nature of some partners’ personality characteristics and the treatment survivors of such relationships require. Having presented a paper last year at the American Psychological Association on my research on couples’ attachment issues, as exemplified by Harold Pinter’s work, Betrayal, and contrasted with a film such as Bergman’s Island, I can attest that issues between persons require up-to-date training and are not resolved by current practices, such as separating spouses as a response, nor is psychotherapy per se efficacious, but rather training such as noted above is required.
Marne Trevisano
Oak Park
