Edward W. Gondolf

Who are those guys? Toward a behavioral typology of batterers.

This paper reviews a cluster analysis of batterer abuse and antisocial variables drawn from intake interviews with battered women in Texas shelters. A substantial portion of severely abusive and extremely antisocial batterers are identified in the cluster solution. A typology, based on cross-tabulations of the clusters and descriptive variables, includes three types of batterers: sociopathic, antisocial, and typical batterers. These findings suggest that research on batterer characteristics needs to direct attention to the differentiation of batterers, and that intervention with especially the sociopathic and antisocial batterers needs to go beyond court-mandated counseling and anger control treatment.

Batterer Programs What We Know and Need to Know

Research is summarized that addresses the prevailing issues facing batterer programs: (a) Do batterer counseling programs work? (b) What program approach is the most effective and appropriate? (c) How do we reduce program dropout and noncompliance? (d) How do we increase the safety and protection of battered women? (e)How do we extend batterer programs to rural and minority communities? In order to answer these questions, program evaluation in general needs to be enhanced methodologically, descriptive case studies of model programs and demonstration innovations need to identify implementation prospects and problems, and fundamental needs assessments should be conducted, especially of rural and minority communities. Collaboration between researchers and practitioners is an essential aspect of the process.

Battered Women’s Perceptions of Risk Versus Risk Factors and Instruments in Predicting Repeat Reassault

This study partially replicates and expands on a previous study that showed women’s perceptions of risk to be a strong predictor of reassault among batterers. The current study employed a larger and multisite sample, a longer follow-up period of 15 months, and multiple outcomes including “repeated reassault” (n = 499). According to the multinomial logistic regressions, women’s perceptions of risk improved prediction with risk factors (ROC area under the curve improved by .04 and sensitivity of repeated reassault increased 12 percentage points). In comparison to simulated risk instruments, women’s perceptions by themselves were better predictors than the K-SID, similar in predictive ability to the SARA, and almost as strong as the DAS. The best prediction of repeated reassault was obtained using risk markers, including women’s perceptions (ROC AUC = .83; 70% sensitivity) or by using the DAS and women’s perceptions together (ROC AUC = .73; 64% sensitivity).

Patterns of reassault in batterer programs.

A comparative multisite evaluation was conducted of four “well-established” batterer programs in geographically distributed cities to assess the pattern of reassault. Eight hundred and forty batterers were recruited and tested at program intake from each site (210 per site). The batterers and their partners were interviewed by phone every 3 months for 15 months after intake with a response rate for the female partners of nearly 70% for the full follow-up. According to initial victims, 31% of the men reassaulted during the follow-up. The reassault rate varies only slightly when adjusting for new partners (32%) or no partner contact (32%), but substantially more when adjusting for reports from the batterers (36%) and batterers plus arrest record (39%). Rates of verbal abuse (70%) and threats (43%) are much higher, but 73% of the women report feeling “very safe.” Nearly half of the men who reassaulted did so within 3 months after program intake. “Voluntary” participants were significantly more likely to reassault (44% vs. 29%), as were program dropouts (40% vs. 28%). The “well-established” batterer programs appear to contribute to a short-term cessation of assault in the majority of batterers. However, a small portion of the men are unaffected by or unresponsive to the intervention.

Implications of Personality Profiles for Batterer Treatment

Research on men who batter women has recently given a great deal of attention to personality types of batterers. Treatment recommendations for batterer types have relied primarily on aggregated statistical analyses of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI), but may be misleading because the MCMI is designed to be interpreted using individual profiles. The authors employed a profile analysis with MCMI-III results of 100 batterers randomly drawn from 840 men enrolled in four batterer programs. Case examples are used to illustrate the personality profiles and their treatment implications. The profile analysis suggests six major personality groupings that in part reflect previously established types. However, the majority of batterers exhibit narcissistic or avoidant traits that are well suited for the prevailing cognitive-behavioral group treatment approach. A smaller proportion of men evidence personality problems that may warrant adjunctive psychiatric services or individual psychotherapy. In sum, “one size” of treatment appears to fit most.

A 30-Month Follow-Up of Court- Referred Batterers in Four Cities:

A follow-up of court-referred male batterers in four cites was conducted to assess the long-term outcomes of batterer programs (N = 618). About 70% of the batterers’initial and new female partners were interviewed by phone every 3 months for the first 15 months and every 7 to 8 months for the next 15 months. According to the women’s reports, 41% of the men committed a reassault during the 30-month follow-up period—an increase of only 7% over the 15-month reassault rate. Nearly two thirds of the first-time reassaults occurred in the first 6 months. About a fifth of the men repeatedly reassaulted their partners and account for most of the reported injuries. The reassault rate for men attending a program for 3 months or more is significantly less than for dropouts. The reassault rates are not significantly different across the four programs, despite differences in program length and services.

MCMI-III Results for Batterer Program Participants in Four Cities: Less “Pathological” Than Expected

Previous research using diagnostic inventories describe the extent and nature of psychopathology among batterers. MCMI-III scores from batterers in a multisite program evaluation (n = 840) were used to replicate this previous research. As in previous batterer research using the MCMI-I and MCMI-II, the MCMI-III results suggest a complex diversity of psychological problems that does not readily conform to previous profiles. However, less than half of the men had scores suggesting a personality disorder (BR scores ≥ 85), as opposed to 80% in a previous batterer study using the MCMI-II. Only one quarter of the men (25%) show evidence of a “severe” mental disorder. Narcissistic or antisocial tendencies were evident in 39% of our batterer sample, reflecting the sense of “entitlement” often attributed to batterers. Voluntary, as opposed to court-referred men, were more likely to have depressive and dependent tendencies and evidence of severe disorders. Our multisite sample appears to be less “pathological” than previous batterer samples and samples of psychiatric or drug outpatients.

Assessing Assault Self-Reports by Batterer Program Participants and Their Partners

Self-reports on domestic violence inventories remain the basis of court and clinical decision-making and program outcome evaluations, but little research has investigated the reliability and validity of these self-reports with clinical populations. We investigated the most widely used self-report inventory, the Conflict Tactics Scale, using a multisite database of men admitted to batterer programs and their female partners (n = 840). Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing batterer and victim reports to police incident reports at program intake (n = 145). Victims (29%) were more likely than batterers (19%) to report no assault when the police reports indicated an assault. Batterers were, however, more likely to minimize the severity of assaults than their victims. Reliability was assessed by comparing agreement between men and women at intake and at 12-month follow-up (n = 558). Overall man–woman agreement was higher at follow-up (74%) than at intake (64%). However, occurrence agreement declined substantially (from 61 to 17%), and male underreport and male denial markedly increased. Based on the mens and womens descriptions of the assaults, the women who underreport appear to do so primarily to preserve the relationship and men do so in outright denial. The findings imply the need to collect both mens and womens reports at intake and contradict the notion that agreement increases as a result of the batterers sensitization to violence in a program.

Characteristics of Court-Mandated Batterers in Four Cities Diversity and Dichotomies

Background and test data, including information from the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III), were systematically collected from four geographically distributed batterer programs as part of a multisite evaluation of batterer intervention (N = 840). The men appeared similar demographically to those in previous portrayals of courtmandated batterers, except that this sample had a greater portion of African American and Latino men than did previous studies. Several dichotomies appear among the men that might influence intervention, such as differences in living arrangements, education, employment, and drinking. Over half of the men in the sample had been arrested for offenses other than domestic violence. Over half of the men had “alcoholic” tendencies according to the MAST, and over one quarter showed evidence of severe mental disorders on the MCMI-III. The four programs reflected regional differences in demographics but had relatively similar portions of men with previous arrests, mental problems, and alcoholic tendencies.

Assessing woman battering in mental health services

PART ONE: UNDERLYING ISSUES FACING ASSESSMENT Addressing Differences and Barriers Moving toward Collaboration PART TWO: TOOLS FOR IMPROVED ASSESSMENT Case Studies of Mental Health Evaluations Procedures for Assessing Woman Battering Recognizing the Strengths of Battered Women - with Angela Browne PART THREE: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN ASSESSMENT Appreciating Diversity among Battered Women Identifying and Assessing Men Who Batter Appendix - with Susan Schechter A Survey of Battered Womens Advocates