Evaluation of a single-session brief motivational enhancement intervention for partner abusive men

The current study evaluated the efficacy of a single-session brief motivational enhancement (BME) interview to increase treatment compliance and reduce recidivism rates in a sample of 82 recently adjudicated male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). Batterer intervention program attendance and completion as well as re-arrest records served as the primary outcome measures and were collected 6 months post-adjudication. Results indicated that BME was associated with increases in session attendance and treatment compliance. BME was not directly associated with reductions in recidivism. The relationship between BME and treatment compliance was moderated by readiness to change such that BME participants with low readiness to change attended more sessions and were more likely to be in compliance with the terms of a treatment than control participants with low readiness, while participants with high readiness attended sessions equally, regardless of study condition. Results indicate that outcomes may be improved through treatment efforts that consider individual differences, such as one's readiness to change, in planning interventions for IPV perpetrators.