Intervention Program With Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence

The current project aims to develop, implement and assess the effectiveness of an intervention program for perpetrators of intimate partner violence (both volunteers and court-mandated) that incorporates Motivational Interviewing techniques (MIT) as well as cognitive-behavioral and psychoeducational strategies implemented in a community setting. The intervention focuses on ending violence against the intimate partner and promoting the batterer's personal and social skills. The study uses pre- and post-treatment measures, with an experimental group (intervention) and two control groups (a group without intervention and a group without MIT). Data were collected at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Intimate Partner Violence
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Psychological

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Portugal
  • Póvoa De Varzim, Portugal
    • Recruiting
    • Junta de Freguesia Aver-o-Mar
    • Contact: Paula Coelho; Email: pamcds@gmail.com
  • None Selected
    • Braga, None Selected, Portugal, 4704-553
      • Recruiting
      • Associação de Psicologia da Universidade do Minho
      • Contact: Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves, Phd; Email: rabrunhosa@psi.uminho.pt

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• being an adult male;
• having perpetrated physical, psychological, and/or sexual violence against a female intimate partner or ex-partner;
• be able to read and write.

Exclusion Criteria:

• psychotic disorders;
• cognitive impairment;
• psychological and/or personality disorders;
• substance abuse.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Group cognitive-behavioral intervention plus individual Motivational Interviewing; Group participants will participate in six individual sessions based on Motivational Interviewing techniques (60 minutes each) and then in 18 group sessions based on psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral techniques (90 to 120 minutes each). Groups will be composed of 6 to 10 participants. The intervention will be delivered weekly.	Other: Psychological
EXPERIMENTAL: Group cognitive-behavioral intervention; Group participants will participate in 18 group sessions based on psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral techniques (90 to 120 minutes each). Groups will be composed of 6 to 10 participants. The intervention will be delivered weekly.	Other: Psychological
NO_INTERVENTION: Treatment as usual (TAU); Group participants will receive the usual treatment delivered by different institutions (e.g., correctional services, probation services, child protection services) as the participants of this study are justice-involved individuals (i.e., perpetrators of intimate partner violence).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Perpetration of abuse against intimate partner	Marital Violence Inventory (IVC) - Total scores range between 0 and 40. Higher scores mean a higher frequency of intimate partner violence.	18 weeks
Attitudes towards intimate partner violence	Attitudes towards Marital Violence Scale (ECVC) - Total score ranges between 25 and 125. Higher scores mean more supportive attitudes towards intimate partner violence.	18 weeks
Psychopathological symptoms	Bref Symptom Inventory (BSI) - BSI includes nine dimensions and three global indexes. Higher scores mean more psychopathological symptoms.	18 weeks
Coping skills	Coping scale - Total score ranges between 13 and 52. Higher scores mean better coping skills.	18 weeks
Risk of intimate partner violence	Spouse Abuse Risk Assessment (SARA) - Total scores range between 0 and 40. Higher scores mean a higher risk of intimate partner violence.	18 weeks
Motivation to change	University Rhode Island Change Assessment - Domestic Violence - Revised (URICA-DV-R) - URICA-DV-R includes a Readiness to Change Index - higher scores mean higher readiness to change.	18 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self-esteem	Rosenberg Self-esteem scale (RSES) - Total scores range between 10 and 40. Higher scores mean higher self-esteem.	18 weeks
Self-concept	Self-concept inventory (ICAC) - Total scores range between 20 and 100. Higher scores mean higher self-concept.	18 weeks
Aggression	Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) - Total scores range between 29 and 145. Higher scores mean higher levels of aggression.	18 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Minho

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): January 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): September 1, 2022
• Study Completion (ANTICIPATED): December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 21, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 1, 2022
• First Posted (ACTUAL): August 2, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): November 1, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 31, 2022
• Last Verified: October 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Intimate partner violence; Intervention program; Perpetrator
• Other Study ID Numbers: CE.CSH 102/2018

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No