The authors of this meta-analysis sought to determine whether or not cognitive behavioral therapy is better than no treatment for helping reduce male violence against women, or domestic violence; they included studies involving volunteer participants as well as court-mandated participants.
Campbell systematic review examines the effects of using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as treatment for men who physically abuse their female partner. This review included six randomized controlled trials from the U.S. involving a total of 2,343 participants; the authors selected randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for men who have physically abused their female partner and included a measure of the impact on violence. Two reviewers independently assessed references for possible inclusion, extracted data using an online data extraction form and determined the risk of bias in each included study. Where necessary, the reviewers contacted study authors for additional information. The authors’ objective was to measure effectiveness of CBT and programs including elements of CBT on men's physical abuse of their female partners. Findings revealed that there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions on CBT effects on domestic violence reduction. Publisher Abstract Provided