Psychological and demographic predictors of attrition among batterers court ordered into treatment

Abstract

The study investigated differences in demographic and psychological variables between treatment completers and dropouts among abusive men entering a court-mandated treatment program. An additional goal was to create a predictive model that would correctly identify men at greatest risk of dropping out of the program. The authors used a secondary analysis of 137 men randomly selected from a larger pool of 784 men. Analysis indicated that very few of the demographic and psychological variables differentiated between treatment completers and dropouts. However, a logistic regression model was developed that correctly predicted treatment completion for 75 percent of the sample. Implications of the findings for improving retention rates among men attending court-mandated batterer treatment programs are discussed.