NCJ Number
218429
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 13 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 527-543
Date Published
May 2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examined program completion rates for immigrant and nonimmigrant men enrolled in batterer intervention (BI) programs in Massachusetts.
Abstract
The immigrant batterer intervention (BI) program attendees were generally better educated, were earning higher incomes, and were less likely to be unemployed or disabled than their nonimmigrant counterparts. The study found that 46 percent of immigrant and 62 percent of nonimmigrant Massachusetts BI program clients did not complete their assigned program which was consistent with attrition rates in other studies. One possible explanation for immigrants’ relatively high program completion rate may be that they are more fearful of the consequences of violating probation than are nonimmigrants. Findings did not indicate support for the hypothesis that men who attend language and culture specific BI groups were more likely to complete the program. Batterer intervention is a rehabilitative service for perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). The effect of a BI program is best measured in terms of clients’ long-term abuse cessation. However, there is little research on batterer program attrition and completion as an alternative measure of program effectiveness. This study examined immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs from 2002 to 2004 (N = 480). The study described the immigrant men enrolled in the programs, investigated whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigated whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups. Tables, references