Title: Effect of Perceptions of Sanctions on Batterer Program Outcomes

Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency

Vol. 37

Issue Number: 4

Date: November 2000

Pages: 369-391

Author: D. Alex Heckert Ph.D. ; Edward W. Gondolf Ed.D.

Sponsor: National Institute of Justice US Dept of Justice
810 Seventh Street NW
Washington, DC 20531

Public Health Service Ctr's for Disease Control Prevention US Dept of Health and Human Services
Atlanta, GA 30333

URL: http://www.sagepub.com

Date Published: 2000

Page Count: 23

Format: article

Grant Number: 98-WT-VX-0014; R49/CCR310525-02

Note: Earlier version of article presented at the 6th International Family Violence Research Conference, 1999, Durham, New Hampshire

Annotation: Recognizing no studies address the effect of "specific" deterrence on batterer program outcomes, 15-month follow-up data from a multi-site evaluation of batterer programs were used to test the effect of batterer perceptions of the likelihood of jailing on drop-out and re-assault.

Abstract: Most men were mandated to the batterer programs by the courts (82 percent), as opposed to others who entered the batterer programs voluntarily (18 percent). The men tended to be fairly young and of a lower socioeconomic status. Data were collected using questionnairesthat included items on the incident leading to participation in the batterer program and on physical aggression. The men's partners were interviewed by telephone within 2 weeks of the men's program intake. Both men and their female partners were called separately every 3 months for a 15-month follow-up period and were interviewed about their relationship status, behavior toward partner, alcohol and drug use, and other treatment and assistance received. Results showed about half the batterers perceived jailing as likely to result from program drop-out or re-assault. Batterers from programs with a court review process for program compliance and/or higher arrest rates for re-assault were more likely to perceive jail as likely. Results also supported the experiential effect of prior contact with the criminal justice system and alcohol treatment. However, neither perceived certainty of sanctions (jailing likely) nor perceived severity of sanctions predicted drop-out and re-assault. The authors conclude increasing perceptions of criminal justice sanctions alone may not prevent batterers from re-assault. 40 references, 1 note, and 4 tables

Thesaurus Term: Crime prevention measures/ ; Abused women ; Battered wives ; Domestic assault prevention ; Recidivism prediction ; Violent men ; Victims of violence ; Criminal justice research ; Alcohol-crime relationship ; NIJ grant-related documents ; Alcohol-related crimes ; Female victims ; Aggression ; Violence prevention