L9- Institutional Aggression In The Context Of Prisons- Dispositional Explanations

Question 1

What are institutions

Answer 1

placed where many ppl often confined in cramped surroundings- as result can be violent +agg
e.g prisons- violence historic problem

Question 2

2 theories that explain institutional aggression

Answer 2

• Situational explanation=social environment in prison can cause aggression
• Dispositional explanation= individuals disposition (traits + characteristics that create individuals identity) are main factors in any agg displayed by that individual

Question 3

Importation model- violent subculture, personal characteristics

Answer 3

• most influential dispositional explanation
• put forward by Irwin + Cressey
• proposes individuals import their characteristics and traits into prison when they enter
• if come from violent subculture (violence=norm), continue to be violent in prison
• criminals often live in culture of violence- norm to settle disputes agg- norm continues to determine behaviour in+out prison
• model can explain higher agg in people with certain personal characteristics- gender,race,social class
• more aggressive in any setting-prison,work,education

Question 4

Importation model to explain agg in younger inmates

Answer 4

• younger inmates= more violent- more likely to find harder to adjust to prison life= more conflicts + view agg as appropriate way of dealing with conflicts
  -importation model= not situational pressures but disposition of individuals

Question 5

Research support

Answer 5

DeLisi et al:
- studied group of juvenile offenders in California- negative backgrounds
- individuals importing these characteristics into prison
- compared to control group- no negative background
- Found negative inmates more likely to engage in suicidal activity, sexual misconduct, acts of physical agg

Question 6

Gang membership

Answer 6

• another important dispositional factor in explaining institutional agg in prisons= gang membership
• consistently related to violence + anti-social behaviour
• Drury + DeLisi - members of gang prior to prison= sig. more likely to commit misconduct in prison- murder, hostage taking, assault

Question 7

Evaluation

Answer 7

+ research support- Adams- black vs white
+ research support- Camp + Gaes- security of prison= no difference
- ignores other key factors- Dilulio- way prison is run - ACM model
- beta bias- research on male prisoners

Question 8

Strengths

Answer 8

+ Adams- American prisons- black inmates more likely to be associated with violent acts vs white inmates- black= poorer backgrounds, higher crime rates= imported cultural norms

+ Camp + Gaes- 561 male inmates- similar criminal histories + predispositions to agg- 50% randomly placed high-security prison, 50% low security- within 2years , no sig diff in no. of prisoners involved in agg acts (3% diff)= features of prison environment= less important predictors of agg behaviour than characteristics

Question 9

Weaknesses

Answer 9

• ignores other key factors- Dilulio claims it ignores factor- way prison is run- proposed Administartive Control Model (ACM)- states poorly managed prisons= inmate violence more likely
• Most research on male prisoners= little known about reasons for female violence- androcentric to generalise- may have other factors= beta bias