Unlocking participation: factors associated with attendance on a voluntary domestic abuse perpetrator programme

Domestic abuse perpetrator programmes (DAPPs) show evidence of reducing recidivism, but study size, quality, varying participant risk levels, and intervention length have all contributed to limited effect sizes. A significant challenge for both the effectiveness of DAPPs and the measurement of that effectiveness is high treatment attrition. Despite a growing body of research, there remains uncertainty about which participant characteristics predict drop-out versus completion, and most existing evidence focuses on court-mandated rather than voluntary programmes.

This paper analyses factors associated with attendance on REPROVIDE, a voluntary 23-week DAPP for men in relationships with women. Referral routes, perpetrator demographics, intrapersonal characteristics, and violence-related variables were examined using number of sessions attended as a continuous dependent variable. Univariate linear regression analyses were conducted first, followed by multivariable linear regression incorporating age, income, PHQ-9 score, income reporting status, and number of pre-group assessment sessions attended. All predictors were measured at baseline.

Univariate analyses identified several factors associated with higher session attendance: number of pre-group assessment sessions attended, older age, greater depression severity (higher PHQ-9), higher reflective functioning (higher RFQ-6), self-referral, employment, and higher income. Lower attendance was associated with refusal to disclose income, involvement of Child and Family Court or Children's Social Care, and referral by health, criminal justice, or social services. The multivariable model showed evidence of an association with number of group sessions attended, with an adjusted R ² of 0.1696.

Greater clarity on the factors associated with men's voluntary DAPP attendance has practical implications for both researchers and practitioners. For researchers, these findings can inform the design and testing of future interventions. For practitioners, they can guide resource allocation and process design aimed at maximising treatment adherence.