institutional aggression

Question 1

what is an dispositional explanation

Answer 1

explanation of behaviour highlighting importance of individual’s personality (heir disposition)

Question 2

what is a situational explanation

Answer 2

explanation of behaviour identifying its causes as existing within the environment

Question 3

what is the importation model

Answer 3

• irwin and cressey (1962)
• dispositional explanation

= prison inmates bring/import subculture typical of criminality
- willingness to use violence inside prison or settle disputes reflect lives before imprisonment

= prisons are not completely insulated from everyday life outside

Question 4

how does the importation model link to aggression

Answer 4

aggression = product of individual characteristics (disposition), not prison environment

• inmates ‘import’ such characteristics/behaviours, which influence their use of aggression to establish power, status, influence and resource access (‘convict subculture’)

Question 5

who conducted research into juvenile offenders and their outcomes, and what did they find

Answer 5

DeLisi et al (2011) = studied juvenile offenders in california who had negative backgrounds (e.g., childhood trauma, anger)

= compare to control (inmates with no negative background)

= ‘negative’ inmates more likely to engage in suicidal activity, sexual misconduct, physical aggression
= importing these characteristics (and the resulting dispositions) into prisons

Question 6

what is the deprivation model

Answer 6

place causes of institutional aggression within prison environments itself

• harsh conditions = stressful
  = resort to cope through aggressive and violent behaviour

Question 7

example of harsh conditions in prisons

Answer 7

1. psych factors
   (e.g., deprived of freedom/sexual intimacy)
2. physical factors
   (e.g., deprived of goods/services)

Question 8

how can the nature of the prison regime influence aggression

Answer 8

unpredictable/regular use of ‘lock-ups’ to control behaviour =
- create frustration
- reduce stimulation and access

= violence become adaptive solution to issue of deprivation

Question 9

what did steiner (2009) find when looking at the link between prison-level factors and outcomes

Answer 9

inmate-on-inmate violence more common in prisons where;
- high proportion of female staff
- overcrowding
- more inmates in protective custody

= reliably predict aggression inline with deprivation model, factors were independent of individual characteristics of prisoners

Question 10

strength of importation model

Answer 10

research support

DeLisi et al = inmates with negative backgrounds
- e.g., childhood trauma, substance abuse, violent behaviour

= more likely to engage in acts of physical aggression

Question 11

weakness of importation model

Answer 11

ignore key factors/limited explanation

dilulio = proposed administrative control model
- poorly managed prisons (e.g., weak leadership, unofficial rules, few eduction opportunities) = more likely to have inmate violence

= suggest IM is inadequate explanation due to fact that institutional factors may be more important than dispositional

Question 12

strength of deprivation model

Answer 12

research support

steiner at al = evidence of prison-level factors largely affecting levels of inmate violence

= identification of situational factors and increased aggression
= support model validity

Question 13

weakness of deprivation model

Answer 13

contradictory research
- model predict lack of heterosexual contact = should increase aggression in prison

hensley et al = study male/female prisoners in Mississippi (allow conjugal visits)
= no link between involvement in conjugal visits/reduced aggressive behaviour

= suggest situational factors do not substantially affect prison violence