title: Identifying subgroups at high risk of dropping out of domestic batterer treatment: the buffering effects of a high school education.
abstract: This study identifies the subgroups of domestic batterers who are at a low or high risk of failing to complete domestic batterer cognitive behavioral treatment. The sample is composed of 355 domestic batterers ordered to complete treatment, with 31.8% not completing treatment. Three subgroups of batterers were identified as having at least a 60% chance of treatment failure: (a) unemployed generalized aggressors, (b) high school dropouts ordered into substance abuse treatment, and (c) unemployed offenders ordered into substance abuse treatment. Furthermore, a high school education, even when offenders are unemployed or living in poverty, buffers the negative effects of a substance abuse problem among court-mandated batterers required to participate in both domestic violence treatment and substance abuse treatment. Two thirds of substance-abusing high school graduates completed both domestic violence and substance abuse treatment, compared to only one third of the substance-abusing high school dropouts. Implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Loyola University Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Loretta J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Stalans
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology*; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D016896:Treatment Outcome