FORUM on Corrections Research

Assessing treatment change among family violent offenders: Reliability and validity of a family violence treatment assessment battery (R-72, 1998)

Kelley Blanchette, David Robinson, Christine Alksnis, and Ralph Serin

This report investigates the utility of three self-report scales for measuring treatment-related changes in men who have participated in programs for family violent offenders. Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) implemented six Family Violence Treatment Demonstration Projects between 1990 and 1993 in bothinstitutional and community settings. The treatment programs reflected both cognitive-behavioural and feminist models of family violence treatment. Within this broad framework, each demonstration site adopted its own specific approach to treatment. Nevertheless, the overriding aim of all six programs was to reduce or eliminate abuse of family members in all its forms. This validation study is based on data pooled from these projects between April 1, 1994 and March 31, 1995.

The three principle instruments were administered as self-report questionnaires. The instruments measured attitudes and behaviours related to woman abuse and various dimensions of anger arousal and expression. The fourth instrument (Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR)) measured the tendency to present oneself in a socially desirable manner while responding to questionnaire items.

1. Inventory of Beliefs About Wife Beating (IBWB)
2. Index of Controlling Behaviour
3. Multi-Dimensional Anger Inventory (MAI)
4. Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding
   • Self-Deceptive Enhancement
   • Impression Management

The sample was comprised of 336 men. Half participated in institutionally based programs while the other half-participated in community-based programming.

While the pre-test/post-test data reported in this study provide only minimal evidence of program effectiveness, the results suggest that offenders who participate in family violence programming develop attitudes, over the course of treatment, which are less supportive of abuse. An important remaining question concerns the extent to which diminished endorsement of attitudes condoning family violence predicts reductions in actual abuse behaviour.