Citation

Petrik ND, Gildersleeve-High L, McEllistrem JE, Subotnik LS. J. Fam. Violence 1994; 9(4): 307-316.

Affiliation

VA Medical Center, 56303 St. Cloud, Minnesota; Department of Applied Psychology, St. Cloud State University, 56301 St. Cloud, Minnesota; Department of Psychology, St. John's University, 56321 Collegeville, Minnesota; 95959 Nevada City, California

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/BF01531941

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A 6-month outpatient treatment program for male abusers emphasized honesty, shame reduction, and group support for change. Ratings on the Abusive Behavior Inventory (ABI) obtained before and immediately after treatment demonstrated a significant decrease in physical and psychological abuse as rated by both the abusers and their female partners. This decrease in male abusiveness was maintained 6 months and two years after completion of treatment for those couples who cooperated in followup. No decrease in male abusiveness was observed during treatment, however, for those couples who did not cooperate in the followup. The authors suggest that the noncooperative female partners may have been afraid to rate their partners because of continued abuse. Therefore, the selective attrition of subjects who did not improve is a major problem in evaluating the apparent long-term success of treatment.