THE EFFECTS OF GROUP TREATMENT FOR MEN WHO BATTER - AN 18-MONTH FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

Social workers, psychologists, and other mental health professionals are increasingly offering services to men who batter their women partners. This article describes the results of an experiment comparing three types of brief treatment groups offered in two differing intensities to batterers. Of 283 men who were randomly assigned to one of the six treatment conditions, 153 completed 80% or more of the assigned sessions. Eighteen-month follow-up interviews were conducted with 70 program completers or their partners. The results indicated that short-term, relatively structured group treatment tended to produce the most consistent successful results compared to an earlier study. Men's involvement with the courts and their lack of prior mental health treatment predicted lower levels of violence at the 18-month follow-up.