Exploring the stigmatisation of offending and non-offending paedophiles: a terror management approachMaroño, Abbie; Bartels, Ross M.; Hill, Kimberley; Papagathonikou, Theodoros; Hitchman, Glenn
2023 Journal of Criminal Psychology
doi: 10.1108/jcp-07-2022-0021
Paedophilic individuals are a highly misunderstood and stigmatised group, with the general public tending to equate paedophilia with child sexual abuse. Given that paedophilia is often conflated as a psychiatric/mental health disorder and an extreme violent offence, the current study examined whether the stigma towards paedophilic individuals is related to negative associations with severe mental illness and extreme violence. The authors also used the terror management theory (TMT) to provide further insights into why paedophilia is so highly stigmatised.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 126 participants was split into one of six conditions and provided punitive and moral character judgements, as well as salience of death thoughts. Conditions were divided into three main stigma conditions (paedophilia vs schizophrenia vs homicidal ideation), which were further divided into two conditions (offending vs non-offending).FindingsResults showed that judgements were harsher in the offending conditions than the non-offending conditions. Results also showed that the stigmatisation of paedophilic and schizophrenic individuals may be mediated by terror management processes. These findings suggest that paedophilia is believed to be associated with severe forms of mental illness where an individual is not able to control their own state of mind.Research limitations/implicationsThus, addressing perceptions of dangerousness towards individuals with severe mental illness is a crucial step towards developing effective strategies to help reduce such stigma.Originality/valueAs one of the first studies to use TMT in this way, the current study provided much-needed insight into an important and under-researched area using available methods for such a sensitive topic.
Criminal and positive identity development of young male offenders: pre and post rehabilitationJackson, Laura Amy; Kyriakopoulos, Alex; Carthy, Nikki
2023 Journal of Criminal Psychology
doi: 10.1108/jcp-11-2022-0030
The rates of offending and re-offending for young males are higher than any other population. Whilst the UK Ministry of Justice (2020) states that rehabilitation programmes should aim to build a positive identity, little is known about the subjective experiences of how this occurs. Various theories and models suggest that the development of a positive identity assists rehabilitation for young men with convictions (i.e. Johns et al., 2017). Therefore, the current study aimed to gather personal narratives from male, young offenders with the intention of understanding identity development.Design/methodology/approachTwelve interviews were conducted with young men with convictions aged between 18 and 25 years who had almost completed a rehabilitation process within the community. Narrative analysis was used to analyse the data. All were engaging with the rehabilitation service as a result of conviction for low to medium level offences, including burglary, harm of another person and drug related offences.FindingsThree plots were identified which explain identity when committing offences: “The Powerless”, “The Feared” and “The Disconnected”. One plot was evident within the narratives which explained positive identity when rehabilitated: “The Connected”. The findings illustrate the importance of an approach which considers various aspects of a young offender’s life.Originality/valueThe current study further adds to knowledge base of young offender rehabilitation by providing a systemic understanding of how men with convictions’ identity develop pre- and post-rehabilitation. New implications for trauma informed practice are discussed.
Professional boundary violations in prisons: a scoping review of the literatureKelly, Dominic; Potter, Jonathan
2023 Journal of Criminal Psychology
doi: 10.1108/jcp-04-2022-0012
Professional boundary violations – intentional blurring, minimising or exploiting of institutions’ ethical and legal frameworks – have the potential to cause significant harm to prisoners, staff, prison systems and the public. There has been little empirical research on the nature, extent and impact of boundary violations in UK prisons. The purpose of this paper is to synthesise and critically review studies which have sought to explore, measure and predict boundary violative behaviour, with a view to direct future research and inform prison policies and practices.Design/methodology/approachFour internet-based bibliographic databases were used for this review. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Twenty studies published between 2001 and 2022 were included in this review.FindingsThere is a lack of comprehensive self-report measures around prison boundary violations. Staff and prisoner characteristics, as well as prison-specific conditions, are linked with boundary violations. Staff training, improved working conditions and amnesty programmes as well as bolstered surveillance and restricted cross-sex staff deployment were among recommendations to reduce boundary violations. “Insider” researchers offer insight and access opportunities, but they also pose ethical implications. Current studies have research design, participant sampling and measurement scale limitations which compromises the applicability of findings. Prisons need robust policies on defining, reporting, punishing and recovering from boundary violations. Collaboration between prison institutions and academics, using individuals with experience of both professions, is essential to understand, predict and reduce boundary violations.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first review of empirical studies on professional boundary violations in prison.
Photovoice study of gratitude in ex-juvenile offendersLado, Paula; Keraf, Marselino K.P.A.; Adu, Apris; Liem, Andrian; Kiling, Indra Yohanes
2023 Journal of Criminal Psychology
doi: 10.1108/jcp-11-2021-0045
Gratitude is an element of positive psychology that has been found effective in improving subjective well-being and decreasing aggression in offenders. However, there is a dearth of studies on gratitude in ex-juvenile offenders. This study aims to explore the gratitude of ex-juvenile offenders using a photovoice technique.Design/methodology/approachPhotos and stories behind pictures were collected from eight ex-juvenile offenders who reside in Kupang, Indonesia.FindingsThematic analysis resulted in four main themes: family as an oasis of gratitude, difficulty in social reintegration, strong peer support and gratitude and spirituality.Originality/valueThe results of this study indicated that family, peer support and intensive spiritual activities in prisons were influential in forming a sense of gratitude for ex-juvenile offenders. Interventions need to consider these three aspects to improve gratitude and resulting well-being in ex-juvenile offenders.
The life course of impulsive males from childhood to adulthoodFarrington, David P.; Aguilar-Carceles, Marta
2023 Journal of Criminal Psychology
doi: 10.1108/jcp-12-2022-0036
This paper aims to advance knowledge about the life course of impulsive males from childhood to adulthood, based on data collected in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (CSDD) from age 8 to 65 and to investigate which factors are related to impulsiveness at different ages.Design/methodology/approachThe CSDD is a prospective longitudinal survey of 411 London males first studied in 1961–1962 at age eight. The males have been assessed face-to-face nine times from age 8 to 48. A total of 77 impulsive boys and 334 non-impulsive boys were identified at ages 8–10 using three measures of impulsiveness: daring/risk-taking (rated by parents and peers), psychomotor clumsiness/impulsivity (based on psychomotor tests of the boys) and poor concentration/restless in class (rated by teachers).FindingsParental, family, socio-economic, academic attainment and behavioural factors in childhood were the most significant variables that were related to impulsiveness at ages 8–10. Impulsive males had low IQ, truancy, high daring and a high antisocial personality score at ages 12–14. No exams passed, and a low socio-economic status job were especially significant at ages 16–18, while poor employment, convictions (especially for violence), anti-establishment attitudes and an unsuccessful life were especially characteristic of impulsive males in adulthood (ages 32–48).Practical implicationsChild skills training programmes are needed to reduce childhood impulsiveness.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first-ever publication that documents the life course of impulsive males from childhood to late adulthood.
Pathways to truth: using criteria-based content analysis in missing person casesRichards, Yasmin; Keatley, David
2023 Journal of Criminal Psychology
doi: 10.1108/jcp-11-2022-0032
When investigating missing persons cases, witness and suspect statements are often the only available evidence to investigators. As such, forensic linguistics can be useful to police when seeking information from individuals during investigative interviews. The presumption of innocence must be maintained in an investigation, and therefore this study aims to use a method focused on veracity detection, rather than the majority of studies using deception detection approaches.Design/methodology/approachThe current research uses criteria-based content analysis (CBCA), a method that has been applied to a variety of criminal cases. Real-world statements of individuals convicted or found innocent of their involvement in missing persons cases were used in the analyses. Additionally, behaviour sequence analysis (BSA) was used to map language patterns within individuals’ statements.FindingsResults indicated that two individual markers occurred at a high frequency across all four groups (the guilty and innocent statements of both case types); however, differences were noted in the sequences based on an individual’s ability to provide experiential details.Research limitations/implicationsThe current research contributes to the growing literature that aims to test CBCA in adult samples across crimes that do not pertain to sexual abuse, in addition to aiding researchers and practitioners to understand better the linguistic differences that occur in missing persons cases.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this type of research, using CBCA to assist with missing person's cases with a temporal method (BSA), has never before been tested. BSA has previously been used in forensic linguistics, and shown support for the method. The current research builds on this in terms of missing persons cases.