Dealing with offending behaviour - Rehabilitation programmes

Question 1

What is the aim of behavioural modification?

Answer 1

To increase desirable behaviours and decrease undesirable behaviours through operant conditioning

Question 2

What does the controlled environment of a prison make easy to establish for behavioural modification?

Answer 2

A token economy with specific and limited rewards that can be established and controlled, allowing good prisoners to earn tokens which can be exchanged for desirable goods such as food or cigarettes

Question 3

Briefly describe the history of behavioural modification

Answer 3

It was first used on the mentally ill and then introduced to prisons in the 1960s

Question 4

What did Rice find?

Answer 4

Behavioural modification in a maximum-security prison worked while the prisoner was in the institution, but had no effect on recidivism rates once the prisoner had been released

Question 5

What has behavioural modification been accused of?

Answer 5

Violating human rights, such as denying visits from family members as negative reinforcement. This is unethical and an abuse of power (can be seen in Zimbardo’s study)

Question 6

What is the aim of anger management?

Answer 6

Aims to help offenders with feelings of anger by teaching relaxation and assertiveness techniques

Question 7

What are the three stages of anger management?

Answer 7

Cognitive preparation, skill acquisition, and application training

Question 8

Explain the cognitive preparation stage of anger management. What stage is this?

Answer 8

Stage one; An offender will spend time understanding what makes them angry, and identifying triggers that are likely to make them react with anger

Question 9

Which stage of anger management is skill acquisition? Explain what this is

Answer 9

Stage two; Teaches skills such as relaxation and assertiveness techniques as well as social skills

Question 10

Which stage of anger management is application training? Explain what this stage involves

Answer 10

Allows offenders to practice their new skills, and is done using role play

Question 11

What did Ireland discover about anger management?

Answer 11

These programmes can be very effective, with a 92% reduction rate in anger levels for the intervention group compared to the control group

Question 12

What are the aims of restorative justice programmes?

Answer 12

To make the offender realise the implications of their actions for the victim and improve their relationship with the community by repairing the harm they have caused

Question 13

What is needed for restorative justice programmes to go ahead?

Answer 13

The victim’s and offender’s consent

Question 14

What is involved in restorative justice programmes?

Answer 14

Face-to-face meetings or mediation between the offender and victim are set up to allow the offender and victim to communicate in a controlled setting. What occurs during these meetings varies, but the victim is usually able to ask questions that they have and say what they need to to the offender

Question 15

What practical elements do restorative justice programmes have?

Answer 15

Offenders can repair damage such as graffiti

Question 16

What did Miers find?

Answer 16

The majority of victims were happy with restorative justice programmes, although some were cynical of the sincerity of the offender and their reasons for taking part

Question 17

For every £1 spent on restorative justice programmes _______ is saved by reducing offending

Answer 17

£8