Aggression L10 Institutional Aggression in Prisons: Situational Explanations

Question 1

What is the Situational Explanation for Aggression?

Answer 1

• Social Psychologists argue that the social environment in the prison can cause aggression
• Being in crowded conditions cause aggression and prisons by nature are stressful environments

Question 2

Who put forward the Deprivation Model, and what are the 5 things prisoners are deprived of?

Answer 2

Skyes

• Deprivation of Liberty
• Deprivation of Autonomy
• Deprivation of Goods
• Deprivation of Heterosexual Relationships
• Deprivation of Security

Question 3

Deprivation of Liberty

Answer 3

Prisoners deprived of their freedom and often have to obtain permission to eat, sleep, shower etc

Question 4

Deprivation of Autonomy

Answer 4

Prisoners have no power and few choices, leading to helplessness, frustration and aggression

Question 5

Deprivation of Goods

Answer 5

Access to things we take for granted, e.g smartphones, leading to frustration therefore aggression

Question 6

Deprivation of Heterosexual Relationships

Answer 6

Men feel emasculated and greater opportunities for homosexual behaviour can lead to anxiety amongst prisoners

Question 7

Deprivation of Security

Answer 7

Prisoners live in fear of aggression from other inmates, this heightened sense of threat can lead to aggressive responses as defence

Question 8

What other circumstances do psychologists argue have an effect on prisoner behaviour?

Answer 8

Overcrowding

Hot and Noisy - pre-dispose inmates to aggressive behaviour, creates negative emotions

Job Burnout - Experience of prison staff of being psychologically worn out and exhausted from a job

Question 9

What are Strengths of Situational Explanations? (2)

Answer 9

• Overcrowding
• Practical Application

Question 10

Practical Application (+)

Answer 10

• Set up two units in HMS Woodhill where the overcrowding was reduced, music was introduced to reduce noisy conditions and the temperature was controlled
• These conditions acted as a successful way of lowering levels of aggression

Question 11

Overcrowding (+)

Answer 11

• Found overcrowding in prisons is not just the cause of ill health and general misconduct, but also aggression and violence.

Question 12

What are Weaknesses of Situational Experiences? (2)

Answer 12

• Low Security and High Security Prisons
• Little link between overcrowding and aggression

Question 13

Little link between overcrowding and aggression (-)

Answer 13

• Investigated aggression in 371 state prisons in the US and found little evidence to support link between violence and overcrowding
• He argues stress is experienced by many individuals in prison, but only some resort to aggression
• Assumption that stress and frustration always leads to aggression is wrong

Question 14

Low Security and High Security Prisons (-)

Answer 14

• Randomly allocated 561 male inmates to either a low security or a high security prison
• Inmates were matched on criminal history and predisposition to aggression
• Found individuals were likely to act aggressively regardless of the condition, 33% in low security and 36% in high security
• Low Sec has lower stress so it should lead to less aggression, but its dependant on the individual, dispositional exp better