1. A Meta-Analysis of Batterer Intervention Programs
Karyn L. Delichte, Colleen E. Phillips, Chelsi King, & Siobhan K. O’Toole, California School of Professional Psychology - Alliant International University
Discussion
Introduction
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
IPV is a global social problem with a pervasive and persistent hold on women. The United Nations warns that 70% of women world-wide have experienced violence, physical or sexual, by an intimate partner. Intervention has become a goal of law enforcement, courts, and community-based organizations, often in the form of batterer treatment programs. Unfortunately, treatment outcome studies have shown variability in reducing further violence. Conceivably, if treatment programs are only minimally effective, it could be suggested that intervention and prevention efforts be modified to better protect victims from violent partners.
Rationale
IPV broadly impacts victims/child witnesses
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, an average of 20 people/min.
are victims of IPV physical abuse alone (2014)
Estimate hidden costs of IPV total $8.3 billion -
medical costs/lost productivity (Forbes, 2013)
Batterer Intervention Programs (BIPs)
represent an important treatment perspective
because of the input from women’s groups
Individual studies provide often conflicting
results on effectiveness
Legal, judicial, and risk-assessment decisions
can be based on BIP attendance
A more complete picture of treatment efficacy
would provide critical support for this method of
intervention
The Purpose and Hypothesis
The current meta-analysis was designed to examine and evaluate batterer intervention and treatment programs to determine whether or not they are effective strategies for preventing violence against an intimate partner and reducing the rate of recidivism. Individual studies make recidivism difficult to assess given that it can be operationally defined in different ways. Overall, it is postulated that treatment for batterers is more likely to reduce future violence than no treatment.
Method
Overview and Inclusion Criteria
The current meta-analysis determined effectiveness of batterer intervention programs in relation to recidivism rates. Recidivism was defined as any documented re-offense resulting in charges or legal sanctions and any reported abuse or violence directed toward a victim, which was measured by the number of participants who re-offended from the beginning to end of the study or during a follow-up period. Studies providing recidivism rates at the end of treatment or during a follow-up period were included.
Included studies provided interventions (e.g., CBT or Duluth Model) for the sample population directly addressing the batterer violence. The no-treatment conditions included legal punishment or interventions unrelated to partner violence. Previous studies were incorporated in the current analysis if (a) length of treatment ranged from 8 weeks to 5 years (b) treatment consisted of group, couples, or individual interventions (c) studies conducted on males and females with a minimum age of 18 at the time of the original offense, and (d) published in English.
Literature Search and Coding
The final search term was batterer AND (treat* OR intervent*) AND (trait* OR typolog*), which was sought in four databases for studies published from 1975 through To evaluate study and sample characteristics and treatment effects for each study, a coding sheet was devised. Each study was coded, blind, by a second coder to ensure accuracy of coding. Coding characteristics included: sample size, race, mean age, education level, relationship status, participation and program type, location, treatment model, type of intervention, length of treatment, additional treatment features, comparison group assignment, type of assignment conditions, type of design, treatment analysis, duration of follow-up, and assessment and differences between groups. Effect sizes were calculated using log odds ratios. The log odds ratio statistic obtained from each study was coded continuously.
Results
Sample Characteristics
The current meta-analysis included 12 studies (n = 20,954) with a total of 24 conditions. All were active treatment conditions from quasi-experimental designs. Five studies (41.7%) included control conditions and 7 studies (58.3%) used comparison conditions. Male batterers comprised 94.87% of participants across all studies. Mean age was comparable across conditions (M treatment = 33.83; M control = 34.61; and M comparison = 33.78). Most studies consisted of court-mandated individuals (n = 10). The majority of the studies (n = 10) were conducted in the U.S. with one study involving Taiwanese offenders and another in Scotland.
Outcome Variable
Comparing re-offense rates, the OR was equal to 0.43, with a 95% confidence interval of .32 to Recidivism was 57% less likely to occur for batterers who completed treatment compared to those who did not. We can infer from the our confidence interval that the true population reduction in recidivism likely is between a 42% and 68%. Based on the relatively large confidence interval, the 12 studies included had heterogeneous rates of recidivism reduction.
Sub-analyses
Significant difference for studies that had follow-
up times greater than 12 months - the treatment
group was 73% less likely to re-offend than the
control group
For duration, there is no significant difference
between studies that evaluated treatments 18
weeks or less and those greater than 18 weeks
This study explored whether intervention programs were effective in reducing recidivism among offenders. Overall, the current meta-analytic findings suggest there is strong evidence that batterer intervention programs do aid in reducing recidivism when compared with no treatment or treatment non-completion.
An important implication for these findings is that program completion is an important issue to consider in the criminal process and the issuance of protective orders. Judges may consider placing stricter standards upon offenders who fail to comply with program requirements to increase completion of intervention programs for batterers. Additionally, the ability to deliver intervention programs in is reliant upon the availability of financial resources for community-based organizations and research efforts. The reduction of batterer recidivism is contingent upon the continued funding and availability of such resources. With the meta- analytic evidence that programs reduce future violence against a partner, there is strong support for the ongoing financial support and provision of resources that these programs need to continue operating.
Of the 12 studies in this meta-analysis, 10 studies demonstrated treatment was more effective than no treatment in reducing rates of batterer re-offense. Two of the studies favored the control/comparison condition. This suggests there may be confounding variables that are not accounted for or addressed in the delivery of the intervention. Further research is recommended to examine the effectiveness of specific programs with specific batterer characteristics and typologies, which would help to eliminate a “one size fits all” treatment approach. Based on our sub-analyses, results of this meta-analysis underscore the importance for batterers to complete a program regardless of the length of time the treatment is offered. Results also suggest that treatment follow-up should be conducted at intervals greater than 12 months to permit time for recidivism to occur and be documented.