U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Treatment Adherence of Maltreating Families: A Survey of Professionals Regarding Prevalence and Enhancement Strategies

NCJ Number
148358
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1994) Pages: 1-19
Author(s)
D J Hansen; J E Warner
Date Published
1994
Length
19 pages
Annotation
A sample of 105 mental health professionals completed a survey designed to assess the extent of treatment adherence problems with maltreating families as well as information on strategies used to remedy the problem.
Abstract
Data were provided on 303 maltreating parents who were clients of the respondents; most clients were female and primary caretakers of their children. The mean education level was slightly less than high school graduation and approximately half the respondents were employed. In general, reported incomes were under $12,000 per year. Over 57 percent of the respondents were ordered by the court to receive services and more than one-third had one or more children removed from the home. The results of the survey showed that 83.7 percent of the clients attended the treatment sessions to which they were ordered; approximately 80.2 percent of the maltreating parents were given assignments to be completed at home, of which 64.3 percent were actually completed. Techniques cited by the respondents as means of facilitating adherence included praise, written agreements, phone prompts for attendance, and in-session practicing for homework assignments. 4 tables, 3 figures, and 18 references