Institutional Aggression Flashcards
What are the two explanations for aggression in institutions?
- Importation model
- Deprivation model
What does the importation model suggest?
Suggests that prisoners bring their own characteristics and traits with them to the prison environment (beliefs, norms etc).
Why does the importation model suggest prisoners use violence?
To establish power and status in prison.
What did DeLisi et al find about the importation model?
-Found that people with negative characteristic were more likely to behave aggressively.
-The ‘negative’ inmates were more likely to engage in suicidal activity, sexual misconduct and physical aggression.
What does the deprivation model suggest?
Aggression is due to stress created by the prison environment.
What did Clemmer suggest about the deprivation model?
Harsh prison conditions are very stressful for inmates so they use aggression to help them cope.
What factors does aggression help the inmates adapt to?
-Psychological factors (freedom, independence).
-Physical factors (material goods, resources).
Give advantages of explanations of institutional aggression.
+Supporting evidence for the importation model.
The biggest factor to aggressive behaviour is how aggressive the offenders were before.
+Has real world applications.
Offer the inmates therapy and make the prisoners nicer to avoid/reduce really aggressive behaviour in prisons.
Give a disadvantage of explanations for institutional aggression.
-The importation model does not take into account situational factors.
E.g. factors like racism could act as a trigger for violent behaviour in institutions.
