Impact of a court-referred psychological treatment program for intimate partner batterer men with suspended sentences

Abstract

In this article, the impact of a court-mandated psychological treatment program for men who had committed an offense of intimate partner violence is tested. The sample consisted of 235 men who received a suspended sentence after being charged and sentenced for an offense in relation to intimate partner violence. The success rate in the posttreatment period was 37.4%, and the improvement rate was 48.1%. Therefore, in 85.5% of cases, the treatment program was effective. Results after 12 months of follow-up were almost identical. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in associated psychopathological symptoms. Regarding prediction of therapeutic results, batterers who were older, who had more distorted thoughts about violence, and who had not been victims of childhood abuse were at a significantly greater risk of treatment failure.