Court Referred Treatment of Batterers for Prevention of Spouse Abuse

• NCJ Number: 105736
• Author(s): M Waldo; L Firestone
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The possible relationship of poor marital relationships, lack of communication, and offender attitudes and the effectiveness of a relationship skills group were assessed in 36 male batterers referred by the court.

Abstract

The group format used instruction, demonstration, and practice to increase personal awareness, interpersonal responsibility, and the use of effective alternatives to violence. Correlations were found between the quality of the marital relationship and communication in the relationship, level of comfort with assertion skills and use of assertion skills, and comfort with and use of assertion skills with improved listening and speaking skills. The mean scores on each of these variables showed improvement for those clients who completed treatment. Only 2 percent of clients who completed treatment were subsequently arrested for spouse abuse. Results suggest that increased comfort with assertion will contribute to improved communication skills, and that this will result in improved marital relationships.