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Biomedical subjects

E W Gondolf

Publications and source records attributed to E W Gondolf.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

The program effect of batterer programs in three cities.

Recent meta-analyses and experimental designs of batterer program evaluations suggest little or no program effect. This finding may be compromised by a variety of analytical issues. Instrumental variable analysis addresses some of these issues, especially the relationship of program dropout to batterer reassault. This method of analysis was, therefore, used to test for program effect in a multi-site evaluation. The sites were three well-established batterer programs using a gender-based, cognitive-behavioral approach (n = 640). Completing a batterer program reduced the likelihood of reassault by 44% to 64%, depending on the specification used. Completing a 3-month program appeared to be as effective as completing a 5 1/2- or 9-month program. This moderate effect is an accomplishment considering the problems associated with the program participants and the inconsistency in the criminal justice system at the research sites. The findings remain tentative because of weak instrumental variables for reassault, but do confirm the need for more complex analyses of program effect.

Colorado↗

Capture-recapture analysis of batterer reassaults: an epidemiological innovation for batterer program evaluation.

Capture-recapture analysis is an analytical tool being used in epidemiological research to estimate incidence rates for missing cases and unreliable reporting. Its contribution to batterer program evaluations is examined through a capture-recapture analysis of a multisite evaluation of batterer programs (n = 853). Capture-recapture analysis is applied to various subsamples of the multisite study and to different outcomes (i.e., any reassault, "severe" reassault) to explore the utility of capture-recapture. Finally, the capture-recapture estimates are compared to only the women's reports and to adjusted women's reports (women's reports supplemented with arrest records and men's reports), which are the basis of existing batterer program evaluation. The capture-recapture reassault estimate for the 15-month follow-up is equal to the adjusted women's reports (39%), but is 7% greater than the women reports. The subsample estimates for the individual sites appear to vary as a result of unreliable or unavailable arrest records.

Battered Women↗

Correlates of injury to women with partners enrolled in batterer treatment programs.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined correlates of injury in a cohort of women who were partners of men enrolled in batterer treatment programs. METHODS: Cross-sectional data of 670 pairs of battered women and their partners were analyzed. Prevalence rates of women's self-reports of injury due to their partners' abusive behavior were computed and compared by couples' demographic and behavioral characteristics. RESULTS: Men's use of severe tactics of abuse was the characteristic most significantly associated with injury (odds ratio = 15.47; 95% confidence interval = 9.02, 26.55). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the need to obtain information on the specific tactics used by couples to settle their disputes during universal screening by practitioners.

Adult↗

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.

Adult↗

Validity and reliability of an "Adult Children of Alcoholics" Index.

A 21-item Adult Children Of Alcoholics (ACOA) Index was statistically analyzed in an effort to develop a measure of identifying and assessing ACOAs. The ACOA Index, administered to a conference sample (n = 328), produced four factors suggesting rejection, impulsiveness, inconsistency, and deliberation. The ACOA Index was most highly correlated with indexes for mild depression and low self-esteem. ACOAs scored significantly higher on the ACOA Index than non-ACOAs with an overall correct classification of 67%. Test-retest procedure produced a Pearson r = .80 using a college student sample (n = 134), but only r = .40 for a sample of alcohol inpatients (n = 34). The alpha coefficient for the ACOA Index is .85.

Adult↗

Wife assault among VA alcohol rehabilitation patients.

In a study of wife assault, the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST) and the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) were administered to 218 patients in an alcohol rehabilitation program for military veterans. More than one-third of the patients reported assaulting their wives or partners in the previous year, and one-fifth reported committing severe assaults. However, a subsample of 33 wives or partners of the patients were almost twice as likely as their male partners to report assault. An examination of clinical records of 25 patients indicated that clinicians had identified some sort of "domestic violence" for only 20 percent of this subsample. SMAST scores and CTS scores were not correlated. A dysfunctional family of origin and previous arrest were associated with higher rates of wife assault, but military combat was not.

Alcoholism↗

Adult children of alcoholics: the effects of background and treatment on ACOA symptoms.

This research attempts to identify the factors that differentiate adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs). A national purposive sample of ACOAs (n = 500) was administered an ACOA index measuring ACOA symptoms. An ANOVA analysis for the ACOA index scores showed gender, minority race or ethnicity, rating of parents' relationship, receiving help as a child, and seeking treatment as an adult to have significant effects. Notably, minorities scored significantly lower on the ACOA index, and seeking treatment increased the scores, even in interaction with parents' relationship and receiving help as a child. These findings point to the need for differentiating treatment for ACOAs and developing more effective treatment in general. They also confirm the importance of offering even informal support to children in troubled families.

Adult↗

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.

Adult↗