This book presents the results of a multi-site evaluation of batterer programs in order to inform the debate surrounding the effectiveness of batterer programs.
The book's aim is to address the issues, outcomes, and recommendations of batterer intervention evaluations and inform the discussion about the utility of batterer intervention programs. The book has nine chapters divided into three sections. The book begins with an introduction about the emergence of batterer programs and intervention systems. This is followed by three chapters in Part I: Evaluation Issues that cover the following topics: Evaluating Whether Batterer Programs Work, The Limitations of Previous Evaluations, and Comparing Batterer Intervention Systems. Part II of the book, Outcomes and Implications, has four chapters that cover the following topics: The Diverse Characteristics of Program Participants and Their Partners, The De-Escalation of Reassault and Other Abuse, Evidence of a Program Effect, and Difficulty in Identifying the Most Dangerous Men. The final section of the book, Research and Policy Recommendations, has one chapter that discusses why the system matters, major findings from the evaluation, limitations to the research, and program and policy recommendations. Tables, figures, appendix, and references