Institutional aggression Flashcards
What is institutionalised aggression?
-Aggression that takes place within the social context of a prison or other formal setting
What is the dispositional explanation for institutionalised aggression?
That aggressive behaviour is caused by the person’s individual personality and character
What is Irwin and Cressey’s importation model (1962)?
-Argues that prison is not different from the real-world
-Prisoners import their characteristics, beliefs and attitudes from real-world into prison which brings a sub-culture of criminality.
-Therefore, aggression is the product of the prisoners own characteristics not the prison environment
What was DeLisi (2011) study on the dispositional explanation for institutionalised aggression?
-Studied a group of juvenile offenders in California with negative backgrounds such as anger and substance abuse
-These individuals imported characteristics into prison whereas a control group without negative backgrounds did not.
What is the evaluation for the dispositional explanation for institutionalised aggression?
-S:Research Support for importation model: Camp and Gaes (2005) studied 561 male inmates with similar criminal histories, from low security and half from high security. In 2 years there was not a significant difference between the number of prisoners in aggressive acts- 33% vs 36%. They concluded that prisoner’s characteristics was more important that prison environment.
L: Ignores key factors: Dilulio (1991) claims the importation model ignores many factors other than how a prison is run. Proposed administrative control model (ACM) which suggests low security prisons are more likely to have more inmate violence due to low security having weak leadership which will lead to unofficial rules thriving and few opportunities for education . Therefore, importation is an inadequate explanation because institutional factors are more important
What is the situational explanation for institutionalised aggression?
-An explanation that suggests that aggression is caused by the environment, which may include other people.
What is Clemmer’s deprivation model?
-Places the cause of aggression with the prison environment as it is a stressful environment which leads to people resorting to violence.
-Deprivation of material goods leads to aggression as less resources and lockups also lead to frustration and aggression
What was Steiner’s study (2009) for situational explanation for instituonalised aggression?
-investigated factors predicting aggression in 512 US prisons
-Inmate on inmate violence was more common in prisons where there was a higher proportion of woman as guards and overcrowding. This supports situational explanation because prison environment is causing aggression.
What is evaluation for situational explanation for institutionalised aggression?
-S:Research support for deprivation model: Cunningham (2010) analysed 35 homicides in Texas prisoners between 2000 and 2008. They found the perpetrators actions were due to deprivations identified in Clemmer’s model. Homicides happened when boundaries of the prison were crossed and arguments over drugs and sex.Therefore, these factors support deprivation model.
-L:Contradictory research for deprivation model: Model predicts that lack of heterosexual activity would lead to high levels of aggressive behaviour in prisons. However Henley (2002) studied 256 male and female inmates in prisons in Mississippi which allows conjugal visits. No link between these visits and reduced aggressive behaviour. Therefore suggests that situational factors do not substantially affect aggression.
