Methods of modifying for criminal investigations

Question 1

What did the Prison reform trust find? What is anger management and its aim?

Answer 1

Prison reform trust 2014 – 46% adults are reconvicted within a year. 67%+ under 18 are reconvicted within a year.

Anger management is a kind of cognitive behavioural therapy. Its aim is to reduce an emotional response by reconceptualsiing the emotion using a range of cognitive behavioral skills.

Question 2

What’s the short and long term aim of AM?

Answer 2

Short term aim of AM – reduce anger and aggression in prisons

Long term aim of AM – rehabilitation and reduction of reoffending (recidivism)

Question 3

How is AM often assessed?
How is AM useful for anger in prisons?

Answer 3

questionnaires before and after treatment. Popular measure is the Novaco Anger Inventory.
Anger in prisons – criminals have a hostile attribution bias. Such negative interpretations then lead to anger.

Question 4

what were the 3 key stages Novaco identified?

Answer 4

1) cognitive restructuring – create greater self awareness and control over cognitive dimensions of anger.
2) regulation of arousal – learning to control the physiological state
3) behavioural strategies – problem solving skills, strategies withdrawal and assertiveness.

Question 5

what did Novacos model draw on?

Answer 5

stress inoculation training. Aims to provide a kind of vaccination against future infections.

Question 6

What are the 3 key steps in stress inoculation therapy?

Answer 6

1) Conceptualisation – learn about anger, how it can be adaptive and non-adaptive. Analyse your own patterns of anger and identify situations which provoke anger.
2) Skill Acquisition and rehearsal – taught various skills to help manage anger like self regulation, cognitive flexibility and relaxation. Taught better communication skills.
3) Application – apply skills initially in controlled and non threatening situations like role plays. Receive feedback and try in real setting.

Question 7

what successes does anger management have?

Answer 7

AM successful in reducing anger. John Taylor and Novaco report 75% improvement rates based on a meta analysis of 6 studies.
Landenberger and Lipsey – 58 studies, 20 looked at therapies where AM was key. Significantly related to the amount of improvement.
Kevin Howells et al – meta analysis of 5 studies showed only moderate benefits. One study, one person improved.
Meta analysis can identify trends but could be operationalised in different ways.

Question 8

what limitations does anger management have?

Answer 8

may drop out of AM. Could use drama based courses – less reliant on verbal ability and more engaging. Blacker et al said many proved successful. Reduce dropout is to assess readiness to change before. Scales to measure readiness like Anger Readiness to Change Questionnaire. Am is best as part of a wider therapeutic approach.

Question 9

What theoretical issues does anger management have?

Answer 9

anger and aggression related? If anger does not contribute to aggression, then AM may be irrelevant. Loza and Loza famous claim research that linked anger and crime is based on labs studies using student. Not natural, students used – ecological and external validity low.
300 males in prison – no significant difference between violent and non violent offenders in terms of self reported anger. May mask their anger. Am can be harmful as offenders attribute their violence to anger rather than taking personal responsibility.

Question 10

Why does anger management lack valid consent?

Answer 10

many offenders required to take part. Such participation is against ethical code of practice. But when appropriate on valid informed consent – not always needed. Consent weighed against the benefits for Indvidual and society through anger reduction.

Question 11

why does anger management have confidentially issues?

Answer 11

therapy is intended to help client. A therapist has a duty to institution and client. Breaching confidence is acceptable in most serious situations – dilemmas for therapist and would damage client trust.

Question 12

what benefits does anger management have for prisons?

Answer 12

potential to reduce aggression and violence if accepted that violence and anger are linked. Even without, anger creates a hostile environment.

Question 13

What financial implications are there for anger management?

Answer 13

reoffending costs £9.5 billion per year. Reducing even a small amount of offending has financial benefits for society. Control anger better, preventing committing further crimes.
AM is not a short term therapy. Costs attached to training and employment of trained anger management therapist.

Question 14

what does restorative justice usually involve?

Answer 14

usually involves communication with the victim. May simply give payment, write letter to victim, video conferencing or face to face meeting between victim and offender in presence of impartial facilitator.

Question 15

what are the 2 aims of Restorative justice?

Answer 15

Rehabilitation of offenders – victim explains real impact of their crime , enables offender to understand effects on victim. Offender is encouraged to take responsibility . Rehabilitation requires the criminals active participation – may change their attitudes

Punishment for wrongdoing – offenders offer concrete compensation. The atonement by showing their feelings of guilt. Victim can express their distress and provided offender with chance to develop empathy.

Question 16

what does restorative justice mean form the victims perspective?

Answer 16

reduce sense of victimisation as no longer powerless and have a voice. Develop a greater understanding of the offender.

Question 17

What did Wachtel and McCold say should be the focus?
What did early models focus on?

Answer 17

focus should be on relationships rather than punishment. Justice requires the harm to be healed as much as possible.
Early models focused on the offender and victim but more recent focused on the effect of the wider community.

Question 18

What necessary in restorative justice?

Answer 18

3 stakeholders is necessary for full restorative justice. Victims eeks compensation, offender takes responsibility and community aim toa chive reconciliation to maintain a healthy society.

Question 19

Effectiveness from the victims perspective in restorative justice?

Answer 19

UK restorative justice council reports 85% satisfaction from victims in face to face meetings. Covered a large range of crime from theft to violent crime. Avon and somerset reported 92.5% victim satisfaction when subjects have been victims of violent crime. Victims also claim a greater sense of satisfaction than courts - Dignan.

Question 20

reduced reoffending in restorative justice?

Answer 20

Sherman and Strang reviewed 20 studies of face to face meetings in us, UK and Australia. All showed reduced reoffending and none were linked to higher reoffending. In one study – 142 males convicted of violent and property offences there were lower reoffending rates – 11% compared to control group – 37%. Ethnocentric, androcentric, can’t generalise to other offences.

Question 21

why does restorative justice lack suitability for all crime?

Answer 21

Zehr – restorative justice can take place without the offender presence. Some kinds of crime may not be suitable like sexual offences though this process is used for every crime. Restorative justice cannot be a global solution.

Question 22

what ethical implications are there from the victims perspective for restorative justice?

Answer 22

victim may feel worse after. Offenders may show no empathy and feel injured for a second time. Leading to a loss of self-esteem. The victim may feel taken advantage. The victim may feel very embarrassed afterwards. Risk of psychological harm.

Question 23

what ethical implications are there from the offenders perspective for restorative justice?

Answer 23

can lead to abuses of power. Victims may gang up on an offender. Victims may also try to shame the offender.

Restorative justice programmes need to be carefully balanced and ensure benefit to both victim and offender and avoidance of harm.

Question 24

What financial implications are there for restorative justice?

Answer 24

key aims is to rduece prsion populations by reducing reoffending. Zehr – traditional penal system did not address the needs of victims nor did it promote offender accountability.
Uk restorative justice council claims that for every £1 that is spent, £8 is saved.

Question 25

what wider approach is there for the community for restorative justice?

Answer 25

peace circles – aim to foster an environment of respect so that the community offers support to victims of crime and also welcome the offender into the circle to enable mutual understanding. A talking piecer is passed around. There is a keeper whose task is to maintain the atmosphere of respect and articulate constructive solutions – Pranis et al.

Question 26

how is inherited criminality linked to genetic engineering?

Answer 26

One type of explanation for criminal behaviours are biological explanations which includes inherited criminality. This theory proposes that two genes have been especially linked to criminal behaviour – monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and Cadherin 13 (CDH13). Low levels of MAOA and CDH13 activity have been identified in criminals which demonstrates a correlation between these variables. Inherited criminality is a biological explanation because the focus is on one or more genes predisposing individuals to criminal behaviour. This explanation sees the cause of criminal behaviour as being biological.One method of modifying criminal behaviour is through the use of genetic engineering. This is where an individual’s genetic composition is altered so that undesirable traits can be eradicated. For example, it will be possible to replace a defective MAOA gene with a ‘normal’ one in a fertilised ovum (egg cell).The use of genetic engineering links with biological explanations of criminal behaviour as both see the cause of the behaviour as being biological (inherited criminality) and therefore the solution is also seen as biological (genetic engineering).

Question 27

How does hostile attribution bias link to anger management?

Answer 27

One type of explanation for criminal behaviours are individual differences explanations which includes Hostile Attribution Bias. Cognitive distortions are a form of irrational thinking - in the context of criminal behaviour such distortions allow an offender to deny or rationalise their behaviour. For example, a hostile attribution bias is when someone is more inclined to always think the worst, such as if someone smiles at you but you think that the person is thinking bad thoughts about you. Such negative interpretations then lead to more aggressive behaviour.This explanation is an example of an individual differences explanations as it focuses on the differences between each person in terms of their mental processes and thinking (cognitive distortions). Anger management programmes are based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy. One such example is Novaco’s model which draws on Stress Inoculation Training. This therapy has 3 key steps: Conceptualisation, skills acquisition and application. The use of Anger Management links with individual differences explanations of criminal behaviour as both see the cause of the condition as being caused by aspects of the individual (e.g. thinking) which, crucially, can be changed. Both Anger Management and Hostile Attribution Bias emphasise free will to challenge cognitive distortions by engaging in cognitive restructuring, regulation of arousal and behavioural strategies.

Question 28

how does differential association theory link to restorative justice?

Answer 28

One type of explanation for criminal behaviours are social psychological explanations which includes differential association theory.The concept of ‘differential association’ is that people vary in the frequency with which they associate with others who have more or less favourable attitudes towards crime, and these attitudes inevitably influence their own attitudes and behaviour. If you mix with people who have favourable attitudes towards crime, you will be influenced by them and have a positive attitude about crime. Differential association theory is a social psychological explanation as it suggests that people are socialised into a life of crime. One method of modifying criminal behaviour is Restorative Justice. It usually (but not always) involves communication with the victim. An offender may simply give payment as compensation (no communication) but, more often, an offender may write a letter to a victim or there may be a meeting between offender and victim in the presence of an impartial facilitator. The use of Restorative Justice links with social psychological explanations of criminal behaviour as both focus on behaviour being learned socially through our interactions with others. While differential association theory states that criminal behaviour can be learnt through social interaction (i.e. communication and interaction), restorative justice focuses on social interactions between the victim and offender as a way of rehabilitating offenders (unlearning the behaviour). In both cases the cause of behaviour is social interaction with others which either leads towards criminal behaviour, or away from it.