Individualistic crime policies Flashcards
What are the Individualistic policies
- Psychoanalysis
- Token Economy
- Aversion Therapy
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) & Aggression Replacement Training (ART)
What is Psychoanalysis
A therapy developed by
Sigmund Freud to make the
unconscious mind conscious to
enable the person to deal with
abnormal behavior.
Psychoanalysis sees a weak superego as a cause of criminality, since the individual lacks a moral force to curb their selfish instincts. A weak superego can result from inadequate early socialisation of the child.
How does Psychoanalysis stop crime
If offenders can bring their
unconscious motives for acting out
and committing crime to the surface they can be corrected and will prevent the offenders from
committing future crimes.
What are the interventions based the on Psychodynamic Theory
Hypnosis
Free association
Dream analysis
What are the Psychodynamic Early Childhood Interventions
Informal policies that attempt to
influence the early childhood
relationships between parents and
children are linked to psychodynamic theory.
Who was Aichhorn and what dd he do
Applied psychoanalytical ideas for treating young offenders at the institution he supervised.
Many YO had uncaring/absent parents and had failed to develop loving relationships. (Links to Bowlby)
Normal socialisation had not taken place, therefore they had weak super-egos.
Young offenders institutions should not have a harsh regime.
Tried to create a happy, pleasant environment that could strengthen the development of the super-ego
What is Stop/SO
STOP/SO a charity that
raises money to train and
pay therapists to work with
potential sex offenders.
Pros to Psychoanalysis as a form of crime control
A study in 2010 found
psychotherapy works as
well with offenders as other
forms of therapy.
Cons to Psychoanalysis as a form of crime control
- Time consuming and doesn’t
provide quick answers. - Costly
- Very few positive outcomes
for classic psychoanalysis as
treatment method for
offenders (Blackburn 1993)
What is a Token Economy
A token is given for desired
behaviour:
Tokens may be exchanged for
privileges.
Through selective reinforcement, good behaviour becomes more
likely and undesirable behaviour less likely.
What is Behavior Modification Therapy
This therapy is based on Skinners
theory of operant conditioning.
The idea that behaviour is learnt
through reinforcement and
punishment.
Token economies are used in
prisons and schools
Pros of Token Economies
They can make prisoners more manageable while they are in prison.
Serious offenders ‘buddied’
with an adult volunteer, who provides reinforcement for socially
acceptable behaviour. Had a positive impact
What is Aversion Therapy
Offender asked to think about an
unacceptable sexual fantasy until
aroused. Given an adverse stimulus, e.g. an electric shock or nausea inducing drug.
Procedure is repeated until offender associates deviant arousal with stimulus.
Aim is to stop the thoughts and
therefore offending behaviour.
How is aversion therapy informed by Eysenck’s theory of personality
Criminals tend to be strongly
extrovert and neurotic.
This makes them harder to
condition because they are
more resistant to learning
through punishment.
Therefore need very strong
punishments to change
behaviour.
How effective is Aversion Therapy
Only works in the short term.
Use in the past has been controversial. i.e. as a ‘cure’ for gay
people.
