Case formulations Flashcards
What are case formulations?
a hypothesis about why someone has committed a crime
What do they involve?
past and present relationships and life events
When are they used?
when an offender has complex problems
What do they allow to occur?
understand offending behaviour and prevent recidivism
What happens with new info of offender?
it is added to case formulation
What is the first stage?
Offence analysis
What is the second stage?
Understanding function of offending
What is the third stage?
Treatment
Strengths:
Useful - can help the offender understand why the committed an offence and help them manage future situations and prevent them reoffending
Holistic - takes into account that there is not just one treatment for a crime and each case should be treated individually
Weaknesses:
Validity - may be limited if offender is unwilling to open up about past experiences - incomplete formulation
Usefulness - may be difficult to provide treatment if there are contradicting pieces of data - may suggest different causes for criminality
