Aggression : Institutional Aggression

Question 1

What is institutional aggression?

Answer 1

Aggressive or Violent behaviour which occurs within a formal organised setting (eg prisons)

Question 2

What is the dispositional explanation for institutional aggression?

Answer 2

Any explanation of behaviour highlighting the role of an individual’s personality (eg: suggests high agg levels in prisons are due to personal characteristics and personalities of prisoners, not the environment of the prison)

Question 3

What is Irwin & Cressey’s 1962 Impotation model?

Answer 3

Agg is imported into the prison environment from outside (prisoner’s personalities). Prisons gather those convicted of violent crime, who continue to perform agg behaviours in prison. Individual internal characteristics of agg prisoners are high levels of anger, impulsivity, experience of using violence to solve problems and deviant socialisation.

Question 4

Other factors: Gang memberships

Answer 4

It’s common in prisons, they bring their prior gang alliances, feuds and street culture with them into the prison environment.

Question 5

Other factors: biological factors

Answer 5

High levels of testosterone, genetic predisposition

Question 6

Other factors: personal factors

Answer 6

Withdrawal from alcohol/ drug addiction, low levels of education achievements

Question 7

Wang & Diamond (1999)

Answer 7

Anger, antisocial personality style and impulsivity found to be stronger predictors of institutional aggression vs ethnicity and type of offense committed.

Question 8

DeLisi et al (2003)

Answer 8

Low self control (losing temper easily) predictor of agg behaviour before and during incarceration

Question 9

DeLisi et al (2011)

Answer 9

Study of 813 juvenile delinquents in institutions in California
- Experimental group (dispositional): history of experiences of childhood trauma, high levels of anger and irritability, substance abuse and violent behaviour
- Control group: inmates with fewer negative dispositional factors

Found that inmates in exp group more likely to engage in suicidal activity, sexual misconduct, acts of physical violence (based on reports to parole board)

Question 10

Harer & Steffensmeier (2006)

Answer 10

Collected data from 58 US prisons, found that black inmates had higher violence rates, but lower rates of alchohol and drug misconduct vs the white inmates. These patterns matched the outside setting (general US society) – supports importation model (but it correctional study)

Question 11

What is the situational explanation for institutional aggression?

Answer 11

Any explanations that identify the cause of the aggression as existing within the environment (including other people (eg: suggests high agg levels in prisons is due to environment, not the reason al characters of the prisoners

Question 12

What is Clemmer’s 1958 Deprivation model?

Answer 12

Argues that institutional aggression is caused by the prison environment itself. Prisoners are deprived of freedom, independence, goods, safety and heterosexual intimacy, therefore inmates become aggressive to acquire them. The prisoner regime can also be frustrating.

Question 13

Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Liberty

Answer 13

deprived of freedom – main form of punishment when sent to prison. Must remain in the prison environment with no freedom at all and often have to obtain permission to eat/sleep, shower, etc

Question 14

Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Autonomy

Answer 14

no power and very few choices – leads to feeling of helplessness among inmates. This can lead to frustration and aggression.

Question 15

Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Heterosexual relationships

Answer 15

Men feel emasculated from the loss of heterosexual relationships – feel less of a man. Plus, more homosexual behaviour in prison may lead to anxiety.

Question 16

Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Goods

Answer 16

Denied access to everyday items – brings frustrated sense of failure to most prisoners, leading to aggression

Question 17

Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Security

Answer 17

may live in fear of aggression from other inmates – leads to a heightened sense of physical threat. Continual feeling of threat results in an aggressive response as defence.

Question 18

Steiner (2009)

Answer 18

Studied 519 prisons in US, investigated factors predicting inmate aggression anf found inmate on inmate violence was more common in prisons with higher proportions of female staff, overcrowding and inmates in protective custody.

Question 19

Wilson (2010)

Answer 19

Conducted study as HMP Woodhill – prison for violent prisoners. Two wings…
- Noisy environment reduced via radio being on, better view provided and less claustrophobic and hot environment
- Hot, noisy and overcrowded (normal prison situation)
They found that violent assaults on staff and other inmates reduced to almost zero in condition one.

Question 20

Strengths of the dispositional explanation for institutional agg

Answer 20

• Research showing prison security level doesn’t explain aggressive conduct → Camp & Gaes (2005) conducted study of 561 male inmates w similar criminal histories and predispositions to aggression: 50% in low security prisons, 50% in second highest. Found involvement in aggression approx 35% in both groups, meaning the situation didn’t alter the behaviour. However, it is a field experiment therefore difficult to control EVs (specific environments and staff interactions).

Question 21

Limitations of the dispositional explanation for institutional agg

Answer 21

• Neglect of the impact of prison officials and administrative practices on inmate agg → Dilulio (1991) introduced Administrative Control Model (ACM) suggesting that poor management (week leadership, inconsistent rules, unengaged staff, limited opportunities) creates an environment of more violence. The situational factors exert stronger influence on agg behaviour vs personalities.

Question 22

Strengths of the situational explanation for institutional agg

Answer 22

• Highlights how proximity can exacerbate violence → Cunningham et al (2010) analysed 35 homocides in Texas prisons and found motivations aligned w deprivation model. Many involved cell-sharing with conflict over boundaries (drugs, sexual activity, personal possessions). This shows that environment can increase hostility

Question 23

Limitation of the situational explanation for institutional agg

Answer 23

• It predicts lack of freedom and sexual intimacy inc agg in prisons, but evidence is mixed → McCorkle et al (1995) found overcrowding, lack of privacy, no meaningful activities influence peer violence. However, Hensley et al (2002) studies prisons allowing conjugal visits and found no link between visits and reduced agg, challenging the assumption that deprivation of intimacy causes agg

Question 24

Strengths of the international explanation for institutional agg

Answer 24

• More comprehensive explanation of aggression in prisons → Jiang & Fisher-Giorlando (2002) proposed dual model: importation model explains inmate-on-inmate violence, deprivation explains violence directed at staff. Dobbs and Waid (2004) suggested interaction model, arguing deprivation alone doesn’t cause agg, it’s a combination between imported characteristics and deprivation.