Dropout among perpetrators of intimate partner violence attending an intervention program

Abstract

Batterer intervention programs (BIPs) are one of the most relevant strategies to reduceintimate partner violence (IPV). However, the rates of dropout are significantly high, whichmay impact the effectiveness of such strategies. Literature has identified several factorsassociated with BIP dropout; nonetheless findings remain inconsistent. The aims of this studywere to analyze the differences between perpetrators who completed the program and thosewho droped out, in terms of sociodemographic, violence-related and intrapersonal variables,as well as identify the predictors of dropout. 83 IPV perpetrators completed a set of measuresthat assessed attitudes toward domestic violence, physical and psychological abuse of apartner, aggression, coping skills, and readiness to change. Variables related to past criminalhistory and sociodemographics were also colletected. 42.2% of IPV perpetrators failed tocomplete the intervention program. The results revealed that age and previous convictions byother crimes than IPV discriminated perpetrators who completed the program from those whodroped out, such that, being young and having a previous conviction predicted dropout. Thesefindings reveal a need to further analyze the impact of these factors so BIPs can be tailored tomeet the specificities of IPV perpetrators and prevent treatment dropout.