THE REDUCTION OF MALE ABUSIVENESS AS A RESULT OF TREATMENT - REALITY OR MYTH

A 6-month outpatient treatment program for male abusers emphasized hon esty, shame reduction, and group support for change. Ratings on the Ab usive Behavior Inventory (ABI) obtained before and immediately after t reatment demonstrated a significant decrease in physical and psycholog ical abuse as rated by both the abusers and their female partners. Thi s decrease in male abusiveness was maintained 6 months and two years a fter completion of treatment for those couples who cooperated in follo w-up. No decrease in male abusiveness was observed during treatment, h owever, for those couples who did not cooperate in the follow-up. The authors suggest that the noncooperative female partners may have been afraid to rate their partners because of continued abuse. Therefore, t he selective attrition of subjects who did not improve is a major prob lem is evaluating the apparent long-term success of treatment.