Aggression : Institutional Aggression Flashcards
What is institutional aggression?
Aggressive or Violent behaviour which occurs within a formal organised setting (eg prisons)
What is the dispositional explanation for institutional aggression?
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)
What is Irwin & Cressey’s 1962 Impotation model?
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.
Other factors: Gang memberships
It’s common in prisons, they bring their prior gang alliances, feuds and street culture with them into the prison environment.
Other factors: biological factors
High levels of testosterone, genetic predisposition
Other factors: personal factors
Withdrawal from alcohol/ drug addiction, low levels of education achievements
Wang & Diamond (1999)
Anger, antisocial personality style and impulsivity found to be stronger predictors of institutional aggression vs ethnicity and type of offense committed.
DeLisi et al (2003)
Low self control (losing temper easily) predictor of agg behaviour before and during incarceration
DeLisi et al (2011)
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)
Harer & Steffensmeier (2006)
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)
What is the situational explanation for institutional aggression?
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
What is Clemmer’s 1958 Deprivation model?
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.
Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Liberty
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
Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Autonomy
no power and very few choices – leads to feeling of helplessness among inmates. This can lead to frustration and aggression.
Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Heterosexual relationships
Men feel emasculated from the loss of heterosexual relationships – feel less of a man. Plus, more homosexual behaviour in prison may lead to anxiety.
Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Goods
Denied access to everyday items – brings frustrated sense of failure to most prisoners, leading to aggression
Deprivation in prisons (Syke, 1958): Security
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.
Steiner (2009)
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.
Wilson (2010)
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.
Strengths of the dispositional explanation for institutional agg
- 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).
Limitations of the dispositional explanation for institutional agg
- 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.
Strengths of the situational explanation for institutional agg
- 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
Limitation of the situational explanation for institutional agg
- 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
Strengths of the international explanation for institutional agg
- 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.
