Institutional aggression Flashcards
What is the dispositional explanation of institutional aggression?
The dispositional explanation argues that aggression in prisons is due to the characteristics of the prisoners themselves such as personality traits and pre-existing violent behaviour known as the Importation Model.
Who proposed the Importation Model?
Irwin and Cressey (1962) proposed the Importation Model suggesting that prisoners bring their own social histories and traits into prison which influence their behaviour.
What are the three subcultures in the Importation Model?
Criminal subculture which follows values from outside prison Convict subculture which seeks power within the prison system and Conventional subculture which follows the prison rules.
What is the situational explanation of institutional aggression?
The situational explanation argues that aggression is due to the environment of the prison itself such as overcrowding staff characteristics and the deprivation of key needs known as the Deprivation Model.
Who proposed the Deprivation Model?
Clemmer (1958) proposed the Deprivation Model arguing that the stressful and oppressive conditions of prison cause aggression.
What are the five types of deprivation in the Deprivation Model?
Deprivation of liberty deprivation of autonomy deprivation of goods and services deprivation of heterosexual relationships and deprivation of security.
What is the role of overcrowding in institutional aggression?
Overcrowding increases stress competition for limited resources and frustration leading to increased aggression among prisoners.
How does lack of autonomy contribute to institutional aggression?
Lack of control over daily activities and choices leads to frustration and helplessness which can result in aggression.
What is a strength of the Importation Model?
A strength is supporting research from Harer and Steffensmeier (1996) who found that pre-prison violence predicted inmate aggression supporting the idea that aggression is imported.
What is a limitation of the Importation Model?
A limitation is that it ignores the role of prison conditions as research shows that even non-violent individuals can become aggressive in prison due to situational factors.
What is a strength of the Deprivation Model?
A strength is supporting research from McCorkle et al (1995) who found that overcrowding lack of privacy and lack of meaningful activities significantly increased aggressive behaviour in prisons.
What is a limitation of the Deprivation Model?
A limitation is that not all prisoners respond to deprivation with aggression suggesting that individual differences and personality traits also play a role.
