Effects of Motivational Enhancement on Immediate Outcomes of Batterer Intervention

This article presents results of a quasi-experimental trial of a 6 week motivation enhancing intervention for batterers highly resistant to intervention. One hundred and forty one (29%) highly resistant batterers were identified from a consecutive sample of 486 men referred to a large batterer intervention program. Resistant batterers attended either standard intervention (16 weeks) or a specialized 6 week motivation enhancing group followed by 10 weeks of standard intervention. Observation of counselor behaviors confirmed significant differences in rates of confrontation across groups. Analyses of immediate program outcomes provide some support for the value of motivation enhancing intervention. Resistant batterers who attended specialized intervention completed intervention at a significantly higher rate (84.2%) than both resistant clients in standard intervention (46.5%) and non-resistant clients (61.1%). Differences were maintained even after controlling for demographic and lifestyle related predictors of attrition. Advantages of specialized intervention did not extend to counselor-rated success at meeting core treatment goals. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for the use of motivation enhancing intervention strategies to improve attendance at batterer intervention programs.