dealing w it Flashcards
(50 cards)
What are the 4 ways of dealing with offending behaviour:
Custodial sentencing and recidivism
Behaviour modification (token economies)
Anger management
Restorative justice programmes
Behaviourist principles
If all human behaviour is learned, then it can be unlearned by applying the same principles that brought it about in the first place.
behaviour modification programmes reinforce obedient behaviour, while punishing disobedience, in hopes that former continues and the latter becomes extinct.
Token economies
Based on operant conditioning, where it reinforces desirable behaviour with a token which can then be exchanged for some kind of reward.
Tokens are given as a secondary reinforcer
To be exchanged for primary reinforcer (i.e. food, games, tv time, privileges).
Non compliance can lead to punishment / withdrawal of tokens.
What could desirable behaviour be in a prison?
Avoiding conflict, following prison rules, keeping cell tidy.
What might the reward be?
These rewards may be; a phone call to a loved one, time in the gym/exercise yard, extra cigarettes or food, conjugal visits etc.
changing behaviour
Desirable behaviour is identified -> broken down into small increments and a baseline measure is established -> offenders must follow the same regime of selective reinforcement -> a system of exchange or goods for tokens.
Hobbs and Holt
Tested the use of token economy in young deliquents’ group in a correctional facility in Alabama across 3 behavioural units, with a 4th as a control.
Staff were given extensive training on deciding which behaviours deserved tokens and how many times.
125 boys divided into 4 groups, baseline data was collected (before use of tokens).
Boys were told token categories and list of behaviours which were to be rewarded.
At the end of each day, the boys received a paper telling them how many tokens received that day, on which they could spend it on how they wanted.
Results
Control group (no token economy) showed no increase in desirable behaviour from baseline and end of observation.
BEFORE: 66%, 47%, 73%
AFTER: 91% 81% 94% DESIRED BEHAVIOUR
Strength for token economies:
Easy to implement: The appeal of behaviour modification is largely due to its simple and easy administration.
Often no need or expertise training or specialist professionals as there would be required for other forms of therapies such as anger management.
Rather, token economy can be implemented by pretty much anyone in any institution. They’re also cost effective and easy to follow.
However, the use of systems such as token economy require and depend on a consistent approach from all staff members. Basset and Blanchard found any benefits were lost after staff applied the system inconsistently due to lack of training or staff turnover.
Limitation to token economy : Blackburn
Little rehabilitative value in token economies.
Blackburn argued that behaviour modification has ‘little rehabilitative value’ and any positive changes which occur whilst the offender is in prison is quickly lost when released. Therefore may only work for the short term.
Token economies may not really change behaviour - people may simply mimic or fake desirable behaviour in order to get tokens.
Therefore behaviour modification may only lead to superficial changes in behaviour.
Ethical issues of token economies:
Some people suggest that the terms and conditions of behaviour is manipulative and dehumanising.
In a prison setting, the use of token economy system if obligatory for all offenders rather than optional.
Is it ethical to withhold ‘priveleges’ such as watching TV because a severaly disordered person does not do what a nurse thinks is desirable.
Therefore withdrawal of privileges may be ethically questionable.
NOVACO
NOVACO suggested that cognitive factors trigger the emotional arousal which usually leads to the aggressive acts. Therefore anger management uses both the cognitive approach and behaviourist principles to challenge angry responses in prisoners.
What is anger management:
is a form of CBT where the individual is taught to recognise when they are losing control, and then encourages individuals to develop techniques which bring about conflict resolution without the need for violence.
2 aims of anger management:
- to reduce anger in prisons
- A longer term aim of rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism.
Novaco’s 3 AIMS of anger management
- cognitive restructuring : For prisoners to have greater control over their thought processes surrounding angry emotions
- Regulation of arousal: Learning how to control their physiological state when feeling angry
- behavioural strategies: such as withdrawal from the situation, problem solving and assertiveness
NOVACOS 3 STAGES OF ANGER MANAGEMENT
- Cognitive preparation
- skill aquisition
- Application practice
What if cognitive preparation
This phase requires the offender to reflect on past experiences and consider the typical pattern of their anger, The offender is taught to identify the situations which trigger their anger, and, if the way the offender perceives or interprets the event is irrational - the therapist;s role is to make this clear.
Skill acquisition
Offenders are introduced to a range of skills to help them deall w anger provoking situations more rationally and effectively.
Cognitive: posiitve self talk to encourage calmness
Behavioural: assertiveness training in how to communicate more effectiveely
Physiological: methods of relaxation ad meditation.
Application practice
In this final stage , offenders are given the opportunity to practice their skills within a carefully monitored environment. The role play likely involved the offender and the therapist re-enacting scenarios that may have escalated feelings of anger previously.
Requires commitment from the offender as they need to see the scenario as real. It also requires a certain amount of bravery from therapist whose job is to ‘wind up’ the offender in order to assess their progress.
Therapist may give the offender constructive feedback on the role play, which the offender would then practice and utilise in the next sessions. May keep a diary also.
keen et al
studied the progress made in a group of young offenders aged 17-21 who took part in an anger management programme.
The national anger management package was developed by England and Wales Prison Service 1995 which comprises of eight two-hour sessions, the first seven over a three-week period and the last session is a month after. The content follows the stages we spoke about earlier.
Although there were no initial issues, the outcomes were generally positive, and offenders reported an increased awareness of their anger management difficulties and an increased capacity to exercise self-control
jane ireland
87 participants in total
Experimental group of 50 young offenders took part in an anger management therapy sessions
12 x one-hour sessions over three days
A fairly intensive programme
Control group of 37 – had no anger therapy (were put on waiting list for treatment for ethical reasons)
Eight weeks after the treatment, the prisoners were re-assessed on their anger scores.
All in experimental group showed a significant improvement in anger scores
Control group showed no improvement
eclectic approach
anger management works on a number of different levels.
Cognitive prep in stage 1
Behavioural aspects in stage 2
social approach in stage 3 through role play
More likely to lead to permanent change in behaviour than behaviour r modification programmes as it focuses in changing the way an offender thinks and behaves.
See’s offending behaviour as a complex interaction between social and psychological factors.
Long term effectiveness? blackburn
Whilst anger management may have noticeable effects on offenders in the short term, there is little evidence that it reduces recidivism in the long term.
This may be because the application phase of anger management still relies heavily on artificial role play which might not properly reflect all the possible triggers in a real life situation.
Therefore they are unlikely to mirror a real life scenario.
limitation to anger management
Not all crime is motivated by anger. cRIMES FOR FINANCIAL GAIN WOULD NOT BENEFIT FROM cbt. iT IS VERY EXPESNIVE AND TIME CONSUMING AS it requires highly skilled therapists. Needs motivition aswell.
