Citation

Gondolf EW. J. Aggression Maltreat. Trauma 2000; 4(1): 273-297.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1300/J146v04n01_12

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Batterer program evaluations raise several human subject issues that have yet to be uniformly addressed in evaluation guidelines or institutional review boards. Experience conducting a multi-site evaluation of batterer programs, human subject procedures developed for research with violent psychiatric patients, and protocol developed for clinicians assessing domestic violence cases are used to illustrate and address these issues. The major issues include (1) obtaining informed consent from resistant batterers, ''volunteered'' female partners, and new female partners; (2) maintaining victim safety in conducting followup interviews and in response to information gained in these interviews; and (3) tracking female partners in a way that violates privacy and may recreate a sense of being stalked. A tested protocol for identifying and addressing imminent violence, suicidality, and child abuse is presented as one way to help address victim safety. Feedback from the multi-site evaluation suggests few subjects refused consent, faced safety problems, or were bothered by tracking; and high response rates and disclosure of information were associated with efforts to address the human subject issues.