Domestic Violence, Batterer Intervention, and the Risk Principle

• In Event: Communities, Risk, and Victimization

Abstract

Meta-analytic reviews of batterer intervention program (BIP) evaluations have indicated that they are minimally successful at reducing domestic violence recidivism. Although outcomes of direct program comparisons have yet to be made, correctional rehabilitation programs used to treat a wide variety of offenders (e.g., substance users, violence offenders, and so forth) that adhere to the “principles of effective intervention” (PEI) have reported much higher reductions in recidivism. Some scholars have proposed that the PEI may offer guidance in ways to improve BIP effectiveness. Therefore, this study seeks to empirically examine the individual level, “building blocks” of the PEI – specifically the risk principle – among domestic violence (DV) offenders. This study uses data from 505 DV offenders from the Multi-Site Batterer Intervention Program Evaluation to determine how PEI risk factors relate to DV recidivism, and whether they are more or less predictive of DV recidivism than DV-specific risk factors. Results indicate that the PEI appear to be relevant to DV, as some PEI-specific risk factors do overlap with DV offenders. Further, risk among DV offenders is slightly different than risk among general offender populations.

Author

• Dana L. Radatz, Niagara University