Testing for the Benefit of Readiness for Batterer Intervention Program Treatment

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

Intimate partner violence is too frequently a persistent problem among some couples, which unless properly addressed can escalate in frequency and severity. In the United States, efforts to decelerate this spiraling cycle of violence are varied and numerous. One such approach has consisted of judicially mandating attendance of a community-based batterer treatment program for those arrested for partner assault. Unfortunately, a cadre of experiments has not found that attending these mandated programs after conviction are on average more effective than the passage of time. However, many of these studies have not examined whether a positive effect may exist within subgroups of offenders, such as those with greater willingness to change. Furthermore, few studies have explored whether key moderators are linked to treatment completion or positive outcomes. Using data from a randomized experiment that tested a brief but intense post-arrest treatment program, this study seeks to address this gap by testing whether several moderators are correlated with subsequent rates of violence. The data analyses will assess whether the interaction of treatment assignment and the existence of key moderator states reduces violence from the victim’s perspective and police re-arrest records. Future research directions and policy implications for practice will also be discussed.

Authors

• Amber Angelina Mandalari, Michigan State University

• Christopher D. Maxwell, Michigan State University