A Victim-Based Assessment of Court-Mandated Counseling for Batterers

Abstract

The advent of court-mandated counseling for batterers has raised several difficult issues for victims. This paper reviews the research in three areas in an effort to define these issues and to develop appropriate policy; issues related to program implementation, dropout, and outcome are discussed. Court-mandated counseling is shown to be diverse in practice, beset with substantial dropout, and offering an uncertain outcome. The conclusion presents fundamental program standards and regulations necessary to bring direction to an otherwise diversifying and uncertain field.