Effects of Program Model on Recidivism Rates of Abusive Men

Abstract

The present study reports on findings obtained from research on domestic abuse and bettering intervention programs. Three programs from various regions in the United States were analyzed, including Domestic Violence Accountability Program (DVAP) in New York, Emerge in Massachusetts, and Alternatives to Domestic Aggression (ADA) in Michigan. Programs were chosen for their distinct curricula model (i.e., psychoeducational, cognitive-behavioral, and Duluth model (eclectic) respectively). Finally, a comparative study was proposed for the three programs, specifically studying the recidivism rates of program completers based on model type. Recidivism will be determined through batterer and victim interviews as well as police reports. It is hypothesized that recidivism rates would be lower in the ADA program (Duluth model) than in the other two programs.