research has found that which two factors affect treatment completion for male batterers?

From the perspective of social learning theory, factors such as experiences with childhood abuse, witnessing sibling and parental violence, having a distant relationship with one’s father, and experiencing parental divorce were expected to be associated with completion of a 52-week court-mandated batterer intervention program.

Full Answer

Abstract

Little work has examined the interrelations among intimate partner violence (IPV), alcohol use, and gambling behavior, and no studies have examined these relationships among males court-ordered to batterer intervention programs (BIPs).

Introduction

Male to female intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a prevalent occurrence in the United States, with large percentages of females reporting having been victimized by males ( Ro and Lawrence 2007; Tjaden and Thoennes 2000 ).

Method

The sample consisted of 341 men who were arrested for domestic violence and court-mandated to attend BIPs in Rhode Island. These men represent an overlapping sample of men who participated in a larger study investigating men court-mandated to BIPs ( Stuart et al. 2006, 2008 ).

Results

Means, standard deviations, and bivariate correlations among alcohol use, gambling, relationship satisfaction, impulsivity, and use of psychological, physical, and sexual aggression are presented in Table 1. Raw scores were utilized in determining means and standard deviations of all variables.

Discussion

BIPs have been found to be largely ineffective at reducing rates of perpetration of IPV ( Babcock et al. 2004 ), a problem which remains prevalent and has many negative consequences for the individuals involved ( Coker et al. 2002; Follingstad 2009; Zlotnick et al. 2006 ).

Footnotes

1 Although drug use was not a primary focus of the present study, we did administer the Drug Use Identification Test ( Stuart et al. 2003, 2004 ). The DUDIT, which parallels the AUDIT, is a screening measure for drug problems.

Contributor Information

Hope Brasfield, Department of Psychology, The University of Tennessee, 204 Austin Peay Building, Knoxville, TN, USA.

Abstract

This article presents information on the characteristics of a clinical population of male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) court-ordered for batterers' treatment, and how these characteristics co-varied with treatment attrition.

References (67)

The current study assessed attrition in batterer intervention treatment programs (BIPs). The influence of 25 risk and protective factors on treatment "no shows," "dropouts," and "completers" were examined for a large sample of male and female intimate partner violence offenders ( n = 1,553).

How long is the batterer intervention program?

From the perspective of social learning theory, factors such as experiences with childhood abuse, witnessing sibling and parental violence, having a distant relationship with one’s father, and experiencing parental divorce were expected to be associated with completion of a 52-week court-mandated batterer intervention program. Archival data from 180 clinical files of adult male batterers, aged 18 and older, who completed at least an intake session from an existing state-approved domestic violence treatment facility in the Los Angeles area, were analyzed. Results from a binary logistical regression showed that none of the independent variables were significant predictors of program completion. However, each independent variable was individually associated with program completion ( p < .05). This finding reveals a need to further explore the impact of these variables so that programs can be tailored to meet the specific needs of batterers in treatment. Limitations, clinical implications, and future directions for research are also discussed.

What are the limitations of the present study?

The limitations of the present study include the small sample size, restricted response format (yes or no), and the use of self-report data. The restricted response format did not allow for further exploration of the degree of experiencing and witnessing abuse, the quality of the relationship with father, and the degree of experiencing parental divorce. Furthermore, self-report data, coupled with participants retrospectively recalling their experiences with abuse, witnessing abuse, and their relationships with their father, can impact validity of the data. Also, other factors, such as social desirability bias, willingness to share personal information, motivation for counseling, attitude toward treatment, and facilitator abilities, were not analyzed but could have impacted prediction of program completion. Social desirability bias describes the tendency for participants to respond in a socially desirable manner rather than dictating to the interviewer what is actually the case (Nederhof 2006 ). For instance, in this sample, men could have been inclined to under-report their abusive behaviors as a way of “saving face” in order to preserve their sense of dignity within the interview process. The potential problem that social desirability presents in research is that it confounds the relationships between variables. If men had in fact experienced child abuse, sibling abuse, parental violence, divorce, and/or a distant relationship with their father and accurately reported this information, the results of the logistic regression may have been different.

What is included in a domestic violence program?

Additionally, the file includes a release of information form, a victim information verification form, program questionnaire, court progress report forms, a mental status examination , a domestic violence intake evaluation, and exit interview.

Standards For Batterer Intervention Programs

A National Study of Batterer Intervention

Treatment of Types of Batterers

Program Dropout Rates

• Dropout rates in battering programs are high, even though courts have ordered most clients to attend. Several studies indicate that 20% to 30% of the men who begin short-term treatment programs do not complete them. A 1990 survey of thirty programs of differing lengths found a wide range in completion rates. Half of the programs reported completion...

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