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Please be aware that this content contains descriptions of violence that may be distressing to some viewers.This study investigated how complex behavioral patterns and trajectories of domestic violence offenders changed over time.
Evidence-based practice within the criminal justice system has relied primarily on cumulative reports of reassaults or rearrests, especially in evaluating effectiveness of domestic violence (DV) interventions. The authors use a longitudinal sample of DV offenders arrested and referred to DV offender program in four cities to examine complex multi-outcome patterns of violent and abusive behavior and trajectories between patterns over time. Offenders and their partners were surveyed at program intake and followed for 15 months (N=550). A Hidden Markov Model identifies four distinct behavioral patterns. Trajectory analysis indicates that the most abusive state is relatively stable and indicative of a high probability of future physical assault. Results suggest that evaluation based on complex outcomes may improve criminal justice intervention effectiveness, risk assessment, and risk management. (Published Abstract)