Relative effectiveness of group treatments for men who batter

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to compare six different group treatment programs for men who batter. The 283 men included in the study were randomly assigned to one of three forms of group treatment offered in two different intensities. Of these men, 153 completed 80 percent or more of their assigned programs. Six months after group treatment ended, 92 program completers or their partners were located and interviewed. Analyses of the resulting data revealed that shorter, more structured group treatment was most effective in reducing the number of men reported violent and using terroristic threats during follow-up. The majority of men in all six programs were reported to be using less severe threats during follow-up.