Treatments For Offenders

Question 1

What is anger management?

Answer 1

Anger management is a cognitive behavioural technique, a form of therapy based on the idea that problems are caused by faulty cognitive processes.

Question 2

What are the three steps to an anger management programme?

Answer 2

Cognitive preparation
Skill acquisition
Application practise

Question 3

Describe cognitive preparation within an anger management programme

Answer 3

Offenders can be helped to identify the thoughts, situations or triggers that cause anger, so they recognise when an outburst at is likely to occur.
Thoughts patterns are challenged (how they perceive the situation)
Alternative thinking and behaviour is considered.

Question 4

Describe skill acquisition within an anger management programme

Answer 4

Relaxation techniques are learnt to help calm physiological responses to triggers e.g. breathing techniques
Assertive training is taught to help deal with behavioural responses. Assertiveness allows offenders to control their thoughts and talk through their problems in a non-confrontational way rather than respond angrily.

Question 5

Describe application practice within an anger management programme

Answer 5

This involves setting up situations so that individuals can practise becoming aware of their thoughts and overcoming the aggression that follows.
Role play helps practise new anger management skills in a controlled environment so that offenders feel safe and there is no risk to untrained individuals.

Question 6

State two strengths of anger management programmes

Answer 6

👍🏼One strength is that there is supporting evidence provided by Ireland (2004) who found, based on self-report data, significant improvement (92%) between 50 young male offenders receiving anger management treatment and a matched control group of 37 prisoners who did not receive anger management.
👍🏼Another strength of the use of anger management programmes is that the success can be generalised outside of the institution in which it is carried out. The treatment uses techniques that help the individual to take responsibility for their own behaviour, such as changing their faulty thought patterns and developing alternative strategies for dealing with provoking situations. This suggests they produce long term benefits after the treatment is over.

Question 7

State two weaknesses of anger management programmes

Answer 7

👎🏼The effectiveness of anger management programmers has inconclusive evidence provided by Howells et al (2005) who found that AMP were not particularly effective. This is because they found that a control group who did not receive AMP reduced their anger by a similar amount as those on an AMP.
CP - However, Howells et al found that the treatment group did have better knowledge of anger than the control group by the end of the study.
👎🏼One weakness of AMP is that there are contradictory arguments to the assumption that criminal behaviour is caused by anger. Loza and Loza-Fanous (1999) found there was no significant link between anger and violent offences. Serial killers commit violent crimes, but tend not to act impulsively due to anger; instead they out carefully planned crimes. This suggests that AMP to treat offenders that are violent may not work or be generalised to all offenders.

Question 8

What is the contemporary study for criminal psychology?

Answer 8

Howells et al, 2005

Question 9

States the aims of Howells et al (2005)

Answer 9

To determine whether anger management is more effective than no treatment in producing change.
To investigate whether improvement in treatment can be predicted from pre-treatment offender characteristics, such as level of need and readiness to engage in treatment.

Question 10

Describe the sample in Howells et al’s 2005 study

Answer 10

All of the 418 pps were made with a mean age of 28.8 years who had been referred to AMP in south and Western Australia.
The offender came from a range of ethnic backgrounds and had commuted a range of different offences which were mainly violent.
A control sample was selected from pps who were on a waiting list for AMP.

Question 11

State 4 procedure points of Howells et al (2005)

Answer 11

Pps in the treatment group attended AMP that lasted approximately 20 hours over 10 sessions.
A checklist was used by one facilitator and one randomly selected pp to check the content of the programmes.
Self report data measures were collected from the treatment group before the treatment and after each of the follow up sessions at 2 and 6 months later.
Measures were taken by getting pps to complete two internationally used questionnaires that asked about experiences of anger and their triggers.

Question 12

States the results of Howells et al (2005)

Answer 12

Offenders who completed the AMP shows a significantly greater improvement in anger knowledge with mean change of 1.80 compared to those in the control group with a mean change of 0.95.
At the two month follow up stage, the initial improvement was observed again and was statistically significant. This show d that treatment was helping to manage anger and pps continued to make progress after the course finished.

Question 13

State the conclusion of Howells et al (2005)

Answer 13

The overall impact of AMP was small and the completion of an AMP questionnaire, even without treatment, may have a small benefit in itself.
The improvement shown by those completing the treatment programmes is not always maintained some months after the course is completed.

Question 14

State a drug therapy used as treatment for sex offenders

Answer 14

Hormone treatment

Question 15

What are antiandrogens?

Answer 15

Typical drugs used for sex offenders.
Antiandrogens are a diverse group of medications given to counteract the effects of androgens (male sex hormones such as testosterone) on various body organs and tissues.

Question 16

Describe the effects of antiandrogens on sex offenders

Answer 16

Some antiandrogens drugs lower blood serum levels of testosterone.
Others work by blocking the body’s ability to make use of androgens that are produced.
Both techniques help men diagnosed with paraphiliac control their sexual urges as they return the levels of testosterone to that of a prepubescent boy.

Question 17

How and when are antiandrogens taken by sex offenders during drug therapy?

Answer 17

Drug doses can be taken regularly by mouth or periodically via injection.
The effect of antiandrogens on reduction in sexual desire, fantasies and urges is usually evident within 2-4 weeks of starting drug treatment.

Question 18

When are antiandrogens believed to be most effective for sex offenders?

Answer 18

When utilised alongside psychological treatments such as cognitive, behavioural and group therapies.

Question 19

Describe an example of an antiandrogen

Answer 19

MPA is a hormonal agent used in the USA for paraphilics. It is a synthetic derivative of progesterone which lowers the level of testosterone and increases its clearance rate from the body.

Question 20

State two strengths of hormone treatment for sex offenders

Answer 20

👍🏼A strength of hormone treatment is that there is supporting evidence to show its effectiveness. Maletzkey et al (2006) who using self report data, found treatment of antiandrogens (MPA) for sex offenders compared to no treatment led to lower rates of sexual recidivism.
👍🏼Hormone treatment for sex offenders has positive contributions to society as it helps both the offender and potential victim. By treating the offender with antiandrogens, the offender can control biological sexual urges whilst also accessing therapies that can assist with psychological issues. This makes society a safer place but also allows the offender to live and fund ion in society rather than going through a cycle of recidivism.

Question 21

State two weaknesses of hormone treatment for sex offenders

Answer 21

👎🏼Antiandrogen treatment is rarely given as a standalone therapy therefore it is hard to truly evaluate its effectiveness. Studies tend to look at sexual offenders having antiandrogen therapy but also psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, supervised probation or parole, as well we community based interventions. When there is more than one therapy, it is hard to say which therapy is effective.
👎🏼There are many ethical issues with hormone treatment. The use of antiandrogens to reduce sexual drive could be classified as a form of chemical restrain, restricting sexual freedom and behaviours.
CP: in the U.K. such treatment is voluntary so are only prescribed with the consent of the patient.
However there is a concern over the nature of such consent within forensic-psychiatric institutions and in other counties voluntary consent is not required.

Question 22

State a conclusion about hormone treatment for sex offenders

Answer 22

Hormone treatments have shown how attitudes to try to reduce recidivism have changed over time. It is now recognised that punishments such as a prison sentence do not necessarily change behaviour and that treatments are also needed to tackle the root cause of crime.

Question 23

What is the contemporary study for criminal psychology?

Answer 23

Maletzky (2006)

Question 24

State the aim for Maletzky’s study

Answer 24

To evaluate whether or not receiving MPA after being recommended it has an effect on the rate of recidivism, violating parole and their employment status.

Question 25

State 3 procedure points of Maletzky’s study

Answer 25

All 275 pps were male sex offenders who had been released from prison after serving their sentence.
134 of the pps had been recommended to take MPA (via injections every two weeks).
Questionnaires were filled in by the supervising officer that questioned whether a new offence had been committed, if there had been a violation of parole, whether any rearrests were of a sexual nature and if the offender was employed.

Question 26

State 3 results of Maletzky’s study

Answer 26

31% of those recommended MPA but didn’t receive, committed a new offence with 60% being with a sexual nature.
27% of those not recommended MPA committed a new offence with 55% being of a sexual nature.
Of those receiving MPA 0 pps went back to prison, fewer violations of their parole were commuted and they were seen to be “doing well”.

Question 27

State a conclusion of Maletzky’s study

Answer 27

MPA does reduce sexual drive as those who reoffended were mostly of a non sexual nature.

Question 28

State 2 strengths of Maletzky’s study

Answer 28

👍🏼Generalisable because a large sample of 275 pps were used. This is a large amount of sexual offenders which allows the results to be generalised. 🥊However the sample was of only males. This isn’t representative of the population which therefore reduces generalisability.
👍🏼The study has positive contributions to society as it helps both the offender and the potential victim. By the offender being treated with MPA, they can control biological sexual urges. This makes society a safer place.

Question 29

State 2 weaknesses of Maletzky’s study

Answer 29

👎🏼Ethical issues with the use of MPA. It can be seen as a form of chemical restrain, restricting sexual freedom and behaviours. As the treatment was recommended for the offenders they may have felt obliged to do something that they didn’t truly want to do. This can be seen as cruel.
👎🏼Question of validity from Maletzky’s study due to the supervisor having to make their own opinion of how “well” an offender was doing. This is subjective which decreases the validity of the study.