Family court counselling clients and spouse abuse incidence, couple typologies, and outcomes

A couple survey research design was employed to collect data from a representative sample of court counselling clients who attended the Registries of the Eastern Region of The Family Court during a survey period of 1 month (July, 1995). The central objective in the study was to collect data on the incidence of abusive relationship behaviour. The client survey instruments consisted of a "demographic questionnaire" which all clients were asked to complete when they attend for their counselling interview, a Form A for clients that identified spouse abuse as a problem in the demographic questionnaire, or a Form B, a shorter version, for client couples who did not identify spouse abuse as a problem. The Form A or B was posted to the clients' home address once the counselling intervention had ended.