A Longitudinal Study of Arrested Batterers, 1995-2005

Abstract

An examination of the abuse and criminal careers of 342 men arraigned in the Quincy, Massachusetts, District Court for a crime of domestic violence between 1995 and 1996 through 2004 reveals decade-long criminal and abuse careers largely undeterred by arrest, prosecution, probation supervision, incarceration, and batterer treatment. Although only a minority reabused (32%) or were arrested for any crime (43%) within a year of the study court arraignment, over the next decade, the majority (60%) reabused, and almost three fourths were rearrested for a domestic abuse or non-domestic abuse crime. The research suggests that short-term cessation of domestic violence achieved after a variety of interventions may not indicate longer-term behavior change.