NCJ Number
219627
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 22 Issue: 5 Dated: July 2007 Pages: 319-330
Date Published
July 2007
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined the internal structure of two self-report measures of motivation to change among male perpetrators of intimate partner violence: the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment for Domestic Violence (URICA-DV) and the Safe at Home Inventory (SAH).
Abstract
Results indicated that while the measures displayed adequate internal consistency, the structural models of each measurement fit the data poorly. Subsequent models failed to significantly improve the model fit for both measures. While no acceptable model fit was found for the SAH, the URICA-DV fit a 3-factor model including items from the Precontemplation, Contemplation, and Action subscales. Other findings revealed that the two measures under analysis assessed different facets of the readiness to change construct. The findings suggest that before the stages of change construct can be applied to intimate partner violence treatment and intervention, more research and evaluation are necessary to accurately assess an abusers’ readiness to change. Future research should focus on developing improved measurements of readiness to change in abusive men. Participants were 199 men convicted by misdemeanor assault against a female partner who were recruited for the study through the domestic violence court in Dallas, TX. Participants completed both the URICA-DV and the SAH via a computer-assisted structured interview (CASI) program designed specifically for this research. The factor structure of both measures was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis. Model fit was assessed using chi-square goodness-of-fit calculations. Tables, figures, references