MOM criminal behaviour Flashcards
what are the 2 big MOM criminal behaviour
anger management
restorative justice
what is the aim of anger management
MOM 1 CB
the aim is to reduce an emotional response (anger) by re-conseptualising the emotion using a range of cognitive behavioural skills. anger management has become one of the most common rehabilitation programmes used both in prisons and in after care
what are the 2 aims of the use of anger management with prisoners
MOM 1 CB
the short-term aim is to reduce anger and aggression in prisons where it is a serious issue.
the longer-term aim of rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism especially for violent criminals
explain anger in prisoners
MOM 1 CB
criminals have a tendency towards irrational thinking, (hostile attribution bias)- this is when someone has a leaning towards always thinking the worst. for example someone smiles at you but you think the person is actually thinking badly about you. this can lead to increased anger
key aims of anger management
MOM CB
is to change the way a person handles anger and aggression- the situation itself may not be changeable but a person can change the way they think about it and so can change their behaviour
Novaco’s three aims
MOM 1 CB
cognitive restructuring: greater self-awareness and control over cognitive dimensions of anger.
regulation of arousal: learning to control the physiological state
behavioural strategies: e.g. problem solving skills, strategic withdrawal and assertiveness
explain the stress innoculation model
MOM 1 CB
aims to provide a kind of vaccination against future ‘infections’ The therapy tends to be conducted with a group of offenders either inside/outside prison. e.g. during probation
explain conceptualisation
MOM CB
in the initial phase, clients learn about anger generally, how it can be both adaptive and non-adaptive. they analyse their own patterns of anger and identify situations which provoke anger in them.
explain skill aquisition and rehersal
MOM CB
in the second phase, clients are taught various skills to help manage their anger (e.g. self-regulation, cognitive flexibility and relaxation) They are also taught better communication skills so they can resolve conflict assertively without being angry
explain application and follow thoruhg
anger management MOM CB
clients app;y the skill initially in controlled and non-threatening situations such as role plays of situations that previously made them angry. they receive extensive feedback from the therapist and other group members. later clients can try out their skill in real world settings.
explain how anger management can be used with offenders comes from Jane Ireland who….
anger management MOM CB
Jane Ireland assessed the effectiveness of an AM programme with 87 young male offenders. an experimental group of 50 took part in the treatments, 37 other were placed on a wait list. prisoners receiving AM therapy, showed an improvement of at least one of the ‘angry behaviours’ they were being checked for. 8% deteriorated and there was no change for the control group
what is the second MOM criminal behaviour
restorative justice
define RJ what is the concept
second MOM CB
the concept is that offenders should in some way restore the situation to what it was before their crime was committed
explain Carrabine et al
MOM criminal behaviour RJ
reported that in the last 20 years it has moved from the margins of criminology to the centre of the field. The failure of custodial sentencing to reduce offending behaviour has led to the search for alternative approaches
aims of restorative justice
MOM CB
RJ usually involves communication with the victim. may be payment, writing a letter or a chat. offenders are often offered RJ as an alternative to a prison sentence, if the victim has agreed. RJ can address the rehabilitation of offender and attonement for wrongdoings.
explain rehabilitation of offenders
MOM CB RJ
The victim has an opportunity to explain the real impact of the crime enabling the offender to understand the effects on the victim. offenders may learn to take the perspective of others, reduces the likelihood of re offending.
the offender is encouraged to take responsibility for the crime and rhis is hoped to have an effect on their future behaviour. due to needing to actively participate, their attitudes crime may change.
explain atonement for wrongdoing
MOM CB- RJ
offenders may offer concrete compensation for the crime (money/community work) but more importantly showing their feelings of guilt. the offender will be offered a chance to develop empathy by taking the perspective of the victim and showing an understanding of the effects of their actions
explain the victims perspective
MOM CB RJ
RJ can reduce their sense of victimisation as they feel they have a voice. a victim may develop a greater understanding of the offender by listening to their account, may reduce the victims sense of being harmed
Wachtel and McCOld- theory of RJ
MOM CB RJ
their starting point is that the focus should be on relationships rather than punishment. crime harms people and their relationship, justice requires that harm to be healed as much as possible. early models of RJ focused on the offender and victim only but more recent ideas recognise the effect on the wider community. for successful RJ the victim seeks reparation, offender must take responsibility and the community aims to achieve reconciliation to maintain a healthy society. full restoration involves all three stake holders.
Evaluation: effectiveness
success of anger management programmes
anger management programmes are successful in reducing anger. John Taylor and Raymond Novaco report 75% improvement rates.
however Kevin Howels found that anger management only showed moderate benefits of anger managements programmes and in one study only one person showed improvements
Effectiveness:
Limitations of anger management programmes
CBT in general isn’t for everyone, some offenders don’t like to reflect on their style of thinking. such individuals may well drop out of voluntary anger management programmes for offenders. one alternative is the use of drama-based courses which are less reliant on verbal ability and more engaging. Blacker et al found a number of these type of courses have proved successful. it is also probably true that anger management programmes are best as part of a wider therapeutic.
effectiveness: relationship between anger, aggression and crime
need to consider whether anger and aggression are related. ultimately, we are trying to reduce anger and crime. if anger doesn’t link to aggression then anger management may be irrelevant. Loza and Loza-Fanous studies the link of anger and aggression in almost 300 males in prisons and found no difference between violent and non-violent criminals in terms of anger (this may be because violent individuals mask their anger)
further suggest that one danger with anger management programmes is that such programmes can be harmful because offenders attribute their violent behaviour to anger rather than taking responsibility
ethical implications :
lack of voluntary consent
anger management
in lots of cases, offenders are required to participate in anger management programme (e.g. condition of probation) participation is against the ethical code of therapists) ethical issues are also a balance between costs and benefits so the costs to valid consent could be weighed against the benefits for individual and society through anger reduction
ethical implication
therapist conflict
anger management
therapeutic interventions are intended to help the client. when such interventions are used within prisons there are conflicts for a therapist because they have a duty to the client and for example the prison. for example a client may tell the therapist information that could threaten the security of the prison or details of the crime they have committed. breaching therapeutic confidence is only acceptable in the most serious of situations. causes a dilemma for the therapist and client may lose trust
social implications
benefits for prison environment
anger management
if we accept anger and aggression are linked there is a potential to reduce anger and violence in prisons
social implications
financial implications
financial implications
the cost to the economy of re-offending is at least £9.5 billion per year. any method that may reduce this is beneficial to society. if offenders learn to control their anger better once they are released from prison this may prevent them from committing further crimes.
effectiveness of restorative justice
Effectiveness from the victims perspective
good evidence that victims who taken part in RJ schemes found it was beneficial. the UK restorative justice council reports 85% satisfaction from victims face-to-face meetings with their offenders. (a large range of crimes)
victims also claim a greater sense of satisfaction than when cases go through mainstream court (Dignan 2005)
effectiveness in terms of reduced offending
RJ
helps victims but also reduce reoffending and thus reduce crime rates. Sherman and Strang reviewed 20 studies of face-to-face meetings between offender and victim in the US ,UK and Austrailia. all studies showed reeduced re-offending and none were linked to higher reoffending.
The UK restorative justice council report an overall figure of 37% reoffending
effectiveness:
selecting which offenders and which victims
RJ
the systems will never be able to apply to all offenders and all victims. the offender needs to admit that a crime has been committed, however some say that RJ can happen without the presence of an offender. some crimes may also not be suitable and some victims may decline the offer. this means that restorative justice can’t be a global solution to dealing with offending behaviour
ethical implications of RJ
from the criminals perspective
psychological harm is a key ethical issue and there are many ways that this might happen. the victim may feel that the criminal showed no empathy for the harm caused and feel ‘injured’ for a second time, leading to a loss of self-esteem. The victim may also feel taken advantage of if the criminal was offered RJ as opposed to a custodial sentence especially is the criminal doesn’t appear to be taken it seriously
social implication of RJ
financial implication
the UK has a very large prison population. one of the key aims of RJ is to reduce prison populations by reducing reoffending. the UK restorative justice council claims that reduced reoffending means that £8 is saved for every £1 spent on the restorative process. additionally RJ may have a substantial financial benefit for the community.
Briefly explain how social psychological explanations could be applied to methods of modifying Criminal Behaviour
applying gender socialisation to modifying criminal behaviours
-appears that fender is a significant risk factor for criminal behaviour (95% male)
-males are socialised to be leaders, tough, risk-takers, competitive and such characteristics may increase likelihood of entering into criminal behaviours)
-therefore, men need to be socialised differently to reduce their criminal behaviour
-males could be provided with more ‘feminine’ strategies for conflict management and the media could present males as being less aggressive and risk-taking
-schemes such as the ‘Man Up’ project support men in exploring ways to challenge stereotypes and expectation placed on them by society
Briefly explain how individual difference explanations could be applied to methods of modifying Criminal Behaviour
Moral Reasoning/training
those who fail to develop a sophisticated sense of moral understanding are at increased risk of criminal behaviour. due to their focus on their own needs and a lack of concern for others.
if we increase people’s capacity to perform at a higher level of morality, we should also increase crime as a result. Kohlberg believed that this would be possible as morality develops through both biological maturity and life experiences,
Kohlberg: those raised in an Israeli Kibbutz were morally advanced than those not raised in a Kibbutz (a community where children live collectively)
Kohlberg helped set up a number of cluster schools in schools and prison. aim to encourage each person to have a sense of commitment to and responsibility for the organisation
Briefly explain how biological explanations could be applied to methods of modifying Criminal Behaviour
Genetic Engineering
-genetic research completed via twin studies and gene mapping have identified two genes particularly implicated in violent criminals. (MAOA gene and Cadherin 13)
-people who inherit these genes have an increased risk of criminal behaviour
-modern research attempts to re-structure an individuals genetic composition so that undesirable traits caused by defective genes can be eradicated
-e.g. it might be possible to replace a defective warrior gene with a normal one in a fertilised ovum. families at increased risk could be identified for genetic engineering
-however such research is in beginning stages and some people view this as highly unethical due to suggesting it is ‘playing God’
