Criminal Behaviour - Methods of Modifying

Question 1

1 What is anger management?
Aim?

Answer 1

A kind of CBT
It aims to reduce expressions of anger and aggressive behaviour and therefore reduced likelihood of criminal behaviours linked to reactive aggression.

Question 2

1 Aims of anger management in prisons?

Answer 2

1. Short term - reduce anger and aggression in prisons where it is a serious issue
2. Long term - rehabilitation and the reduction of reoffending especially for violent offenders

Question 3

1 What did Novaco (2011) identify?

Answer 3

Three key aims for any anger management programme:
1. Cognitive restructuring
2. Regulation of arousal
3. Behavioural strategies

Question 4

1 What is Cognitive restructuring?

Answer 4

Great self-awareness and control over cognitive dimensions of anger

Question 5

1 What is regulation of arousal?

Answer 5

Learning to control the physiological state

Question 6

1 What are behavioural strategies?

Answer 6

Problem solving skills, strategic withdrawal and assertiveness

Question 7

1 What did this model draw on?
3 steps?

Answer 7

Stress inoculation training, a form of CBT which aims to provide a kind of vaccination against future ‘infections’.
Conducted inside or outside of prison (probation)
There are 3 key steps:
1. Conceptualisation
2. Skill acquisition
3. Application

Question 8

1 What is conceptualisation?

Answer 8

Clients learn about anger generally, how it can be both adaptive and maladaptive. they analyse their own patterns of anger and identify situations which provoke anger in them

Question 9

1 What is skill acquisition?

Answer 9

Clients are taught various skills to help manage their anger (self regulation, cognitive flexibility and relaxation). They are also taught better communication skills so they can resolve conflicts assertively without being angry

Question 10

1 What is Application?

Answer 10

Clients apply the skills initially in controlled and non-threatening situations such as role plays of situations and previously made them angry. they are given extensive feedback and can they try out their new skills in the real world.

Question 11

1 Supporting research (programmes) for anger management?

Answer 11

Taylor & Novaco (2006) - 75% improvement rates based on 6 meta-analyses

Question 12

1 Supporting research (therapies) for anger management?

Answer 12

Landenberger & Lipsey (2005) - analysed 58 studies, 20 of them looked at therapies where anger control was a key concept. Found that having the anger control element was significantly related to the amount of improvement in reoffending rates.

Question 13

1 Contradictory research for anger management?

Answer 13

Howells (2005) - cited 5 meta-analyses which showed only moderate benefits of anger management programmes and in one study only one person benefitted (Law, 1997)

Question 14

1 Limited applications for anger management?

Answer 14

CBT isn’t for everyone - some offenders don’t like to think back to their style of thinking. One alternative is the use of drama based courses which have proven successful (Blacker 2008)

Question 15

1 Concerns about whether aggression is linked with anger?

Answer 15

Loza & Loza- Fanous (1999) - research that has linked anger and crime is based on lab studies using students. in nearly 300 males in prison, there were no differences in violent and non-violent offenders found in terms of anger - could be due to violent offenders being able to mask their anger

Question 16

1 Lack of valid consent in anger management?

Answer 16

Offenders may be required to take part in anger management programmes which is against against the ethical code of therapist althought the AMDVP ethical code does say ‘based, when appropriate, on valid consent’. ethical issues are also a balance between costs and benefits

Question 17

1 Confidentiality issues in anger management?

Answer 17

When interventions are used within prisons there are conflicts for a therapist because they have a duty to the institution and their client. breaching any therapeutic confidence is only acceptable in the most serious of situations but it could damage the offenders trust

Question 18

1 Anger management benefits for prison environment?

Answer 18

Have the potential to reduce aggression and violence

Question 19

1 Financial implications of anger management?

Answer 19

Cost to the economy of reoffending is at least £9.5 billion per year.
Any method that may reduce offending/reoffending must offer benefits to society. If offenders can learn to manage their anger before they are released back into the community, this can help prevent them reoffending.

Question 20

2 What is restorative justice?

Answer 20

Offenders should in some way restore the situation to what it was before their crime was committed

Question 21

2 What does restorative justice involve?

Answer 21

Communication with the victim. They may simply give payment as compensation but more often, an offender may write a letter to a victim or there may be an interaction between the victim and offender in the presence of an impartial facilitator. Can be used as an alternative to prison.

Question 22

2 What does restorative justice have the potential to do?

Answer 22

Address two key aims of custodial sentencing:
1. Rehabilitation of offenders
2. Punishment for wrongdoing

Question 23

2 What is rehabilitation of offenders?

Answer 23

Victim has the opportunity to explain the real impact of the crime which enables the offender to understand the effects on the victim - may learn to take the perspective of others reducing the possibility of reoffending

Question 24

2 What is punishment for wrongdoing?

Answer 24

Offenders may offer concrete compensation for the crime. the ‘atonement’ is psychological by simply showing their feelings of guilt. the offender can also show an understanding of the effects of their actions providing the offender with the chance to develop empathy

Question 25

2 What are the effects on the victim?

Answer 25

restorative justice can reduce their sense of victimisation because they are no longer powerless and have a voice. the victim also gets a chance to develop a greater understanding of the offender which could reduce the victims sense of being harmed.

Question 26

2 What did Wachtel and McCold (2003) propose?

Answer 26

A theoretical framework. There starting point is the focus should be on relationships rather than punishment.

Question 27

2 What are the three ‘stakeholders’?

Answer 27

Investors - victim, offender and community
The victim seeks compensation, the offender must take responsibility and the community aims to achieve reconciliation to maintain a healthy society
One stakeholder - partly restorative
Two stakeholders - mostly restorative
Three stakeholders - full restoration

Question 28

2 What is the aim of restorative justice?
Modifies?

Answer 28

rehabilitate offenders by giving them a chance to reflect on and take responsibility for their criminal behaviours. - modifies offender behaviour by encouraging cognitive changes in the offender.

Question 29

2 Supporting research (victims) for restorative justice?

Answer 29

UK restorative justice council (2015) - 85% satisfaction from victim sin face to face meetings with their offenders.
Covered a large range of different crimes
Avon & Somerset - 92.5% victim satisfaction when victims had been the subject of a violent crime
Dignan (2005) - victims claim greater satisfaction than when cases go through mainstream courts

Question 30

2 Supporting research (reoffending) for restorative justice?

Answer 30

Sherman & Strang (2007) - reviewed 20 studies of face to face meetings in the US, UK and Australia. all studies showed reduced reoffending

Question 31

2 Restorative justice isn’t a global solution?

Answer 31

Zehr (2002) - restorative justice can take place without an offenders presence.
Some types of crime may not be suitable
Some victims may decline the offer

Question 32

2 Risk of psychological harm in restorative justice?

Answer 32

Victim may feel taken advantage of if the criminal was offered restorative justice as opposed to a custodial sentence especially if the offender doesnt appear to be taking the procedure seriously or the victim can feel embarrassed

Question 33

2 Harm to the offender in restorative justice?

Answer 33

Making people face up to their wrongdoings can lead to abuses of power. victims may also shame the offender which is not the intention of the process - intended to provide mutual benefits so it is important that the offender also feels understood

Question 34

2 Financial implications for restorative justice?

Answer 34

Restorative justice aims to reduce reoffending - UK restorative justice council claims that £8 is saved for every £1 spent on restorative process. They can also be funded by the fines paid by offenders

Question 35

2 Wider approach in the community with restorative justice?
Peace circle?

Answer 35

Restorative justice programmes should go beyond the victim and the offender to include the wider community. e.g ‘peace circles - aims to foster an environment of respect so that the community offers support to victims of crime and also welcomes the offender into the circle to enable mutual understanding.
A ‘talking piece’ is passed around the circle so that a person can speak uninterrupted