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Chu, Chi Meng; Daffern, Michael Meng; Thomas, Stuart D. M.; Lim, Jia Ying
2011 Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research
doi: 10.1108/17596591111154167
Purpose - Gang affiliation is strongly associated with youth crime. Although gang prevention, intervention and suppression programmes have been used to reduce affiliation and manage youth gang-related activities, the effectiveness of these approaches is questionable. Further, comprehensive programmes supporting disengagement from gangs that also address the actual criminal behaviours of gang-affiliated youth are rare. Arguably, these are necessary if the goal of intervention is to reduce criminal behaviour and support disengagement from gangs. This paper aims to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach - This study sought to elucidate the criminogenic needs of gang- and nongang-affiliated youth offenders (n = 165) using two commonly used risk/need assessment instruments, the structured assessment of violence risk in youth (SAVRY) and the youth level of service/case management inventory (YLS/CMI) . Findings - The results revealed that gang- and nongang-affiliated youth offenders had similar criminogenic need profiles except for one difference on an item measuring peer delinquency. Practical implications - Gang-affiliated youth offenders have comparable criminogenic needs to other youth offenders. These needs require intervention if a reduction in crime is desired, and since gang-affiliated youth offenders are more likely to re-offend than those that are nongang-affiliated, these results also suggest that there may be additional needs, beyond those assessed by the SAVRY and YLS/CMI, which should be investigated and considered in rehabilitation programmes. Originality/value - Few studies have directly compared the risk and needs profiles between gang- and nongang-affiliated youth offenders using standardised risk assessment measures; this study may be relevant to professionals working in the juvenile justice and offender rehabilitation arenas.
Chi Meng Chu; Michael Daffern; Stuart D.M. Thomas; Jia Ying Lim
2011 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research
doi: 10.1108/17596591111154167
Purpose – Gang affiliation is strongly associated with youth crime. Although gang prevention, intervention and suppression programmes have been used to reduce affiliation and manage youth gang‐related activities, the effectiveness of these approaches is questionable. Further, comprehensive programmes supporting disengagement from gangs that also address the actual criminal behaviours of gang‐affiliated youth are rare. Arguably, these are necessary if the goal of intervention is to reduce criminal behaviour and support disengagement from gangs. This paper aims to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This study sought to elucidate the criminogenic needs of gang‐ and nongang‐affiliated youth offenders (n=165) using two commonly used risk/need assessment instruments, the structured assessment of violence risk in youth (SAVRY) and the youth level of service/case management inventory (YLS/CMI). Findings – The results revealed that gang‐ and nongang‐affiliated youth offenders had similar criminogenic need profiles except for one difference on an item measuring peer delinquency. Practical implications – Gang‐affiliated youth offenders have comparable criminogenic needs to other youth offenders. These needs require intervention if a reduction in crime is desired, and since gang‐affiliated youth offenders are more likely to re‐offend than those that are nongang‐affiliated, these results also suggest that there may be additional needs, beyond those assessed by the SAVRY and YLS/CMI, which should be investigated and considered in rehabilitation programmes. Originality/value – Few studies have directly compared the risk and needs profiles between gang‐ and nongang‐affiliated youth offenders using standardised risk assessment measures; this study may be relevant to professionals working in the juvenile justice and offender rehabilitation arenas.
2011 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research
doi: 10.1108/17596591111154176
Purpose – The classification of criminal acts as violent or nonviolent should be a keystone of actuarial predictors of violent recidivism, as it affects their outcome measure and scoring of criminal history, thus influencing many decisions about sentencing, release and treatment allocation. Examination of existing actuarial and clinical violence risk assessment tools and research studies reveals considerable variation in the classifications used. This paper aims to use large samples to develop an alternative, empirically grounded classification that can be used to improve actuarial predictive scores within the offender assessment system (OASys), the tool used by the National Offender Management Service of England and Wales to assess static and dynamic risk. Design/methodology/approach – Two analytical steps are implemented. First, to identify offences that frequently involve violent acts, 230,334 OASys cases are analyzed for indicators of violent content. Second, the ability of dynamic and static risk factors to predict reoffending for various offence types is investigated, analyzing 26,619 OASys cases that have official recidivism data. Findings – The resulting empirical classification of violent offences adds public order, criminal damage, threats/harassment, robbery/aggravated burglary and weapon possession offences to the central group of homicide and assault offences. The need to assess risk of sexual recidivism separately is discussed. Originality/value – This study has successfully produced an offence classification for use in a new predictor of violent recidivism. The use of empirical methods to select these offences helps to maximise predictive validity.
Howard, Philip ; Dixon, Louise
2011 Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research
doi: 10.1108/17596591111154176
Purpose - The classification of criminal acts as violent or nonviolent should be a keystone of actuarial predictors of violent recidivism, as it affects their outcome measure and scoring of criminal history, thus influencing many decisions about sentencing, release and treatment allocation. Examination of existing actuarial and clinical violence risk assessment tools and research studies reveals considerable variation in the classifications used. This paper aims to use large samples to develop an alternative, empirically grounded classification that can be used to improve actuarial predictive scores within the offender assessment system (OASys), the tool used by the National Offender Management Service of England and Wales to assess static and dynamic risk. Design/methodology/approach - Two analytical steps are implemented. First, to identify offences that frequently involve violent acts, 230,334 OASys cases are analyzed for indicators of violent content. Second, the ability of dynamic and static risk factors to predict reoffending for various offence types is investigated, analyzing 26,619 OASys cases that have official recidivism data. Findings - The resulting empirical classification of violent offences adds public order, criminal damage, threats/harassment, robbery/aggravated burglary and weapon possession offences to the central group of homicide and assault offences. The need to assess risk of sexual recidivism separately is discussed. Originality/value - This study has successfully produced an offence classification for use in a new predictor of violent recidivism. The use of empirical methods to select these offences helps to maximise predictive validity.
Arturo Roizblatt; Niels Biederman; Jac Brown
2011 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research
doi: 10.1108/17596591111154185
Purpose – This paper seeks to focus on the reflections of therapists who were working professionally in Chile during the time of human right violations in an attempt to inform and to develop ways of working professionally in similar circumstances around the world. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on the experiences of therapists who were working in Chile at the time and extrapolates from these experiences to provide suggestions and guidance for other therapists who find themselves in similar circumstances. Findings – After Dr Salvador Allende was overthrown, Chile was governed by a military dictatorship that engaged in massive human rights violations. From the reflections of therapists 30 years later, this paper summarizes some of the psychological consequences of the traumas that therapists faced when dealing with clients who were directly affected by the same trauma. This included feelings of terror following state treachery, amnesia, fear of political resistance and guilt. Practical implications – Therapists in these countries are encouraged to seek the protection of international organizations who deal with human rights violations, work in professional groups rather than isolation, and when challenging human rights violations by conducting therapy, to work similarly to a resistance movement. Social implications – Therapists in countries where there is no repression should form professional alliances with their colleagues in these repressive countries to help protect them and provide support for their ongoing work. Originality/value – This paper highlights the extreme danger that ensues for therapists who simply continue with their work during state sanctioned repression, and how this may be perceived as political statements against the repressive regime. Ways of dealing with this professionally are discussed.
Roizblatt, Arturo ; Biederman, Niels ; Brown, Jac
2011 Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research
doi: 10.1108/17596591111154185
Purpose - This paper seeks to focus on the reflections of therapists who were working professionally in Chile during the time of human right violations in an attempt to inform and to develop ways of working professionally in similar circumstances around the world. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on the experiences of therapists who were working in Chile at the time and extrapolates from these experiences to provide suggestions and guidance for other therapists who find themselves in similar circumstances. Findings - After Dr Salvador Allende was overthrown, Chile was governed by a military dictatorship that engaged in massive human rights violations. From the reflections of therapists 30 years later, this paper summarizes some of the psychological consequences of the traumas that therapists faced when dealing with clients who were directly affected by the same trauma. This included feelings of terror following state treachery, amnesia, fear of political resistance and guilt. Practical implications - Therapists in these countries are encouraged to seek the protection of international organizations who deal with human rights violations, work in professional groups rather than isolation, and when challenging human rights violations by conducting therapy, to work similarly to a resistance movement. Social implications - Therapists in countries where there is no repression should form professional alliances with their colleagues in these repressive countries to help protect them and provide support for their ongoing work. Originality/value - This paper highlights the extreme danger that ensues for therapists who simply continue with their work during state sanctioned repression, and how this may be perceived as political statements against the repressive regime. Ways of dealing with this professionally are discussed.
2011 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research
doi: 10.1108/17596591111154194
Purpose – The rates of direct paternal care vary greatly across human cultures and primate species. Prior research reveals important hormonal differences between average fathers and non‐fathers in the same population, such as higher levels of prolactin and oxytocin and lower levels of testosterone. This evidence raises the question of whether rates of aggression would be lower in populations with higher paternal care. This study aims to test this hypothesis. Design/methodology/approach – Analyses of correlation and χ 2 ‐tests were applied to data from the Standard Cross‐Cultural Sample, a database of 186 pre‐industrial societies chosen for their independence for cross‐cultural research, to test the hypothesized relationship between paternal care and societal aggression. Findings – High infant‐father closeness was found to be significantly associated with low levels of aggression towards other societies (external war), as predicted. There was not a statistically significant finding between infant‐father closeness and aggression inside a given society. Research limitations/implications – This study only reports a correlational effect owing to the nature of the data. More research is needed to determine causality and to better understand the mechanisms underlying the found association. One future direction of research is to examine a similar question across difference nonhuman primate species. Originality/value – This paper reports a previously unknown association between father closeness and low external warfare. It might inspire future research that could lead to interventions intended to reduce aggression.
2011 Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research
doi: 10.1108/17596591111154194
Purpose - The rates of direct paternal care vary greatly across human cultures and primate species. Prior research reveals important hormonal differences between average fathers and non-fathers in the same population, such as higher levels of prolactin and oxytocin and lower levels of testosterone. This evidence raises the question of whether rates of aggression would be lower in populations with higher paternal care. This study aims to test this hypothesis. Design/methodology/approach - Analyses of correlation and χ 2 -tests were applied to data from the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample, a database of 186 pre-industrial societies chosen for their independence for cross-cultural research, to test the hypothesized relationship between paternal care and societal aggression. Findings - High infant-father closeness was found to be significantly associated with low levels of aggression towards other societies (external war), as predicted. There was not a statistically significant finding between infant-father closeness and aggression inside a given society. Research limitations/implications - This study only reports a correlational effect owing to the nature of the data. More research is needed to determine causality and to better understand the mechanisms underlying the found association. One future direction of research is to examine a similar question across difference nonhuman primate species. Originality/value - This paper reports a previously unknown association between father closeness and low external warfare. It might inspire future research that could lead to interventions intended to reduce aggression.
2011 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research
doi: 10.1108/17596591111154202
Purpose – The majority of child, sibling, dating, intimate partner, spousal and elder abuse and bullying interventions have as a primary goal the cessation of physical assaults. However, too many contemporary domestic violence efforts are reactionary, most occur following the use of physical assaults or after coercive behavior is exhibited and almost all do not begin until school age or much later. Recent research suggests that children express anger and use aggression soon after birth and that children are physically able and use physical assaults before age one. Children also obtain understandings about social interactions and have ideas about causal relationships before age four. This paper aims to consider these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The author gives a viewpoint on violent behavior and the effect of positive parenting, based on research in the USA. Findings – All 50 states in the USA allow the use of physical assaults by parents and guardians against children with the goal of behavioral modification. To end the use of physical assaults regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation, all uses of physical assaults must be replaced with positive guidance and role modeling that condemns not condones the use of physical assaults. Originality/value – These lessons must be role modeled, not lectured and begin the day children are born.
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