Race and demographic factors in treatment attendance for domestically abusive men

This study examined the influence of I-ace and other demographic characteri stics on session attendance and dropout from a cognitive-behavioral treatme nt program for male domestic abusers (N = 101). Multiple regression analyse s revealed that lower session attendance was significantly predicted by, un employed status and African American (versus Caucasian) race. Other demogra phic factors could not account for the race differences in session attendan ce. Race was the strongest predictor of dropout and session attendance in a ll analyses. Racial composition of treatment groups was not significantly r elated to number of sessions attended for Caucasian or African American cli ents. Although the combined (interactive) effect of race and referral sourc e oil number of sessions was not statistically significant, the pattern of means suggested that self-referred African Americans were at the greatest r isk for dropout. Results suggest that race differences in dropout, and the mechanisms that account for these differences, deserve more clinical and re search attention in treatment for domestic abusers.