WIFE ASSAULT TREATMENT AND CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM - AN 11-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

The impact of court-ordered treatment for wife assault was assessed by monitoring 156 men who had completed such treatment for up to 11 year s (mean = 5.2 years) after treatment completion Recidivist assault and wife assault was assessed through access to Canadian Police Informati on Centre data that record crimes committed anywhere in Canada. Compar isons were drawn between this group and a group of 167 dropouts from t reatment (noncompleters), 32 men rejected for treatment because of res istance or denial (rejects), and 91 men who never appeared for their t reatment assessment (no shows). Whereas time-to-failure failed to reve al significant between-group differences, a recidivism ratio (fatal re peat offenses per man-in-group) revealed significantly lower recidivis m rates for treatment completers (.23 versus .50). No shows recidivate d at an equal rare to completers. Some inferences are drawn about spir al models of behavioral change.