Examining Engagement of Men in a Domestic Abuse Program from Three Perspectives: An Exploratory Multimethod Study

This study addresses the limited knowledge in the field on how men initially engage in domestic abuse treatment. Interviews were conducted with a subsample of the men (n = 8), all of the facilitators (n = 4), and an engagement instrument was completed by facilitators on the full sample (N = 95). Facilitator scores confirmed men's engagement in group and that it increased over time. A majority of men and facilitators identified “learning things” as most important in the engagement process. Key elements of group process men described included the importance of learning from each other's stories, and all facilitators observed the support exchanged between the men. Research and group work implications are discussed.