PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Amy Jennings

MA-Research
August 2008

The Personal Empowerment Program: A Collaborative Evaluation

    Domestic violence is a severe social problem that affects over 2 million women in the United States each year.  Previous research focused on preventing domestic violence in voluntary programs for survivors and court referred batterer intervention programs.  The current student measured the effectiveness of the Personal Empowerment Program (PEP), a new 10 week program designed to help break the cycle of domestic violence.  The outcome goal of this program was preventing court issued restraining orders from being lifted.  The present study utilized specialized measurement tools and an exploratory growth curve analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.  Participants rated their understanding, empowerment, and satisfaction at high levels, yet results from growth curve analysis indicated no significant changes in intention to lift the restraining orders over time.  Implications of these findings for domestic violence agencies and court personnel are discussed.

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