Psychological and criminological factors associated with desistance from violence: A review of the literature

Ample evidence exists that offenders eventually terminate their criminal careers, and this holds true for violent offenders. The causal mechanisms responsible for triggering and maintaining this process remain unclear; meaning that desistance from violence is poorly understood. This comprehensive review of the literature revealed that research in this area is hampered by definitional, operational, and measurement inconsistencies. Several of the conceptual frameworks used to explain desistance from delinquency have not been specifically applied in relation to violence. However, it was found that criminological enquiry suggests that informal social control (e.g., stable relationship and employment) play a role in desistance from violence and that theoretical frameworks which examine both internal and external change seem to show promise as an aid to understanding the desistance process. Psychological research has tended to focus on the role of risk and protective factors in relation to desistance but this, particularly protective factors, is currently under-researched. More knowledge needs to be assembled about how: (1) the mechanics of protective factors mitigate risk of future violence, and (2) how they play a role in the maintenance of violent free behaviors. Findings from criminology and psychology need to be expanded and integrated to extend our understanding of desistance from violence.     

Desistance in the Transition to Adulthood: The Roles of Marriage,Military, and Gender

Research is needed on desistance from crime comparatively by gender. This research uses a national longitudinal sample of youth transitioning to adulthood. Drawing on Sampson and Laub's Age-Graded Theory of Informal Social Control, social bonds found in marriage and military involvement are examined to determine if they decrease delinquency over time. The results for the full sample revealed that marriage but not military involvement led to desistance. However, gender sub-sample analyses further showed military enlistment led females, but not males, to desist from crime. Implications and future research aims are discussed.     

Desistance from intimate partner violence: A critical review

Evidence suggests that a significant proportion of men who have been violent towards their partners desist from such violent behaviors; yet, research examining desistance from intimate partner violence (IPV) is limited. This omission is surprising given that an understanding of desistance processes is required to inform evidence-based IPV interventions. In this critical review of the empirical literature, eligible studies included 15 publications, identified through electronic databases and hand searches of bibliographies that directly investigated the cessation of physical violence against an intimate partner, by heterosexual men. No single theory was identified that explains desistance from IPV. However, empirical studies reveal that the severity and frequency of violence is associated with desistance, with those using moderate levels of violence being more likely to desist than those who engage in severe violence. Typology research suggests differences in individual characteristics (e.g., low psychopathology and impulsivity) can distinguish desisters from persisters. In addition, the nature of the dyad within which the violence occurs is also influential in desistance processes. It is concluded that much more research is needed to inform practice and in particular to examine the role of protective factors in mitigating risk and enabling individuals to desist from IPV.     

Motivational pathways underlying the onset and maintenance of viewing child pornography on the Internet

The staggering rate at which incidents of child pornography (CP) are increasing highlights the need for proactive approaches to this problem. Improving the efficacy and accessibility of interventions designed for individuals who view CP provides one means of addressing this growing concern. This article explores the self-identified motivations underlying the onset and maintenance of viewing Internet-based CP among a sample of 20 men receiving treatment for this behavior. Our findings suggest two primary motivational pathways, namely a desire to achieve sexual gratification and/or an attempt to avoid emotional pain. We propose a behavioral facilitation process, initiated by extensive exposure to Internet pornography, to explain the use of CP in men without a sexual interest in children. We also discuss factors that appeared to facilitate the maintenance of this behavior. Our findings indicate that social skills deficits, maladaptive coping strategies, and a lack of sexual education require further investigation regarding their role in promoting or precluding desistance from viewing CP.     

“I Need to Do This on My Own” Resilience and Self-Reliance in Urban At-Risk Youths

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study investigates urban at-risk youths’ perspectives on their multiproblem situations and explores their needs for support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 at-risk youths with varied (externalizing) problems and risk factors. The data analysis was carried out using an inductive thematic approach. Four main themes emerged: desistance from delinquent behavior, need for self-reliance, negative experiences in social relationships and need for support. The participants indicated a strong need to be(come) self-reliant, which was visible in their statements on independence, coping with problems and reluctance to seek or accept help, also regarding desistance from crime. For some, this need for self-reliance seemed to be accompanied by distrust of others, which appeared related to previous negative experiences in social interactions. The participants seemed more open to support coming from someone with similar characteristics or experiences. The findings suggest that in helping at-risk youths, a delicate balance should be sought between stimulating autonomy and providing the necessary resources for support. A focus on strengthening factors that foster resilience is recommended. Future research could investigate the possible benefits of perceived similarity between youths and their care providers.     

Kriminologische Verlaufsforschung zu Jugendkriminalität

This paper presents a short overview of the developmental research of antisocial behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. We first discuss offending patterns based on official and self-reported data and their limitations and problems. Secondly, we discuss the idea of the ubiquity of juvenile delinquency and the frequent occurrence of desistance in the transition to adulthood. The cessation of criminal activities is also found by so called ?chronic juvenile offenders“. We than discuss two important developmental theories of crime: the taxonomic theory of Moffitt and the age-graded informal social control theory of Sampson and Laub. Based on the qualitative desistance study of serious young offenders, Stelly and Thomas not only demonstrate the different pathways out of crime, the results also demonstrate the limitation of the available theories.     

Do Adverse Childhood Experiences Influence the Desistance Process?

ABSTRACT

Prior work has found that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) increase the likelihood of offending while turning points decrease the likelihood of offending. However, these two research areas are yet to be combined. The current study assesses how ACEs influence the effects of marriage and military on desistance using a nationally representative sample. Gender and racial differences are also considered. Marriage predicted desistance among those with ACEs. The military was not predictive of desistance among the full sample, though it was salient among nonwhites with ACEs. The results demonstrated that social bonds can still buffer the effects of ACEs on offending.     

Desistance from Intimate Partner Violence: the Role of Legal Cynicism, Collective Efficacy, and Social Disorganization in Chicago Neighborhoods

This paper examined the relationship between reported Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) desistance and neighborhood concentrated disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability, collective efficacy and legal cynicism. Data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) Longitudinal survey were used to identify 599 cases of IPV in Wave 1 eligible for reported desistance in Wave 2. A Generalized Boosting Model was used to determine the best proximal predictors of IPV desistance from the longitudinal data. Controlling for these predictors, logistic regression of neighborhood characteristics from the PHDCN community survey was used to predict reported IPV desistance in Wave 2. The paper finds that participants living in neighborhoods high in legal cynicism have lower odds of reporting IPV desistance, controlling for other variables in the logistic regression model. Analyses did not find that IPV desistance was related to neighborhood concentrated disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability and collective efficacy.     

Ontological Order in Scientific Explanation

Abstract

A scientific theory is successful, according to Stanford (2000), because it is suficiently observationally similar to its corresponding true theory. The Ptolemaic theory, for example, is successful because it is sufficiently similar to the Copernican theory at the observational level. The suggestion meets the scientific realists' request to explain the success of science without committing to the (approximate) truth of successful scientific theories. I argue that Stanford's proposal has a conceptual flaw. A conceptually sound explanation, I claim, respects the ontological order between properties. A dependent property is to be explained in terms of its underlying property, not the other way around. The applicability of this point goes well beyond the realm of the debate between scientific realists and antirealists. Any philosophers should keep the point in mind when they attempt to give an explanation of a property in their field whatever it may be.     

Parenthood Residency Status and Criminal Desistance across Neighborhood Contexts

Research on desistance and parenthood has yielded mixed results bringing into question whether, and for whom, parenthood matters. Scholarship has not fully explored the importance of residency status or patterns of desistance across a full range of neighborhood contexts, nor examined distinctions between temporary and long-term desistance. Our study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to examine the association between parenthood residence and criminal desistance across levels of adolescent neighborhood poverty. Our findings demonstrate that parenthood has different meanings for desistance, depending on its duration, residency status, and neighborhood context.     

Determinants of social support among low-income mothers: a longitudinal analysis

This study examined the reciprocal relationships between perceived mastery, stress, and three functional areas of social support: tangible support, informational support, and belongingness support. Data were collected during two face-to-face interviews with a sample of low-income, primarily African-American mothers, conducted approximately 1 year apart. Consistent with predictions, initial levels of mastery predicted higher subsequent levels of instrumental social supports (tangible and advice support), but were unrelated to belonging support. Conversely, initial levels of tangible support were predictive of later mastery. Perceived stress did not account for any additional variance in subsequent support, although initial levels of belonging support only did predict reduced stress at Time 2. Results suggest that successful attempts to garner instrumental supports is an important contributor to individuals' sense of self-efficacy, at the same time, self-efficacy leads to more successful use of existing social support systems. These findings point to the importance of having both available tangible support networks as well as close emotional supports for low-income parents. The importance of using longitudinal, multidimensional analyses to better understand the social support process is discussed.     

社会认知职业理论与传统职业理论比较研究

社会认知的职业理论将心理、社会、经济等影响因素通过自我效能、结果期待和目标3个核心概念整合起来,动态性地揭示职业选择和发展的全过程,克服了传统理论将心理、社会、经济等影响因素分割开来进行研究并建构理论、缺乏动态性等局限性,使职业理论更全面。但和传统职业理论相比,该理论还存在概念比较模糊,操作性较差等不足。     

Post-traumatic stress disorder and hiring: The role of social media disclosures on stigma and hiring assessments of veterans

A significant percentage of veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans are often directed to social media platforms to seek support during their transition to civilian life. However, social media platforms are increasingly used to aid in hiring decisions, and these platforms may make veterans’ PTSD more discoverable during the hiring process. Based on social identity theory and identity management theory, the integrated suspicion model, and the stigma literature, we conducted four studies that examine veterans’ PTSD disclosures on social media and the consequences in the hiring process. Study 1 suggests that 16%–34% of veterans included cues related to PTSD status on social media. Study 2, based on 290 upper-level business students, shows that veterans with PTSD were more stigmatized than veterans without PTSD, and stigmatization is associated with more suspicion and lower hiring-related ratings (of expected task performance, expected organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB), expected counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), and intention to interview). Study 3, based on 431 working professionals with hiring experience, further supports relationships from Study 2. Study 4, based on 298 working professionals, identifies peril (i.e., perceptions regarding danger) as an additional mediator for the effects of PTSD on hiring-related ratings. In sum, we identify and explore the identity management conundrum that social media disclosure poses for veterans with PTSD in the hiring process and discuss potential remedies and avenues for future research.     

The application of cognitive dissonance theory to consultation

Despite the importance of the consultation role for the school psychologist, the current literature on consultation has little to offer the practitioner in terms of empirically-based consultation strategies. This paper views consultation as, at least in part, a persuasive process. Cognitive dissonance theory is an extensively researched social psychological theory that predicts when a particular persuasive attempt will be successful and which has implications for consultation.

This article summarizes those aspects of dissonance theory that are most relevant to consultation, reviews the corresponding experimental support, and suggests practical applications of dissonance research and theory to consultation. Because these applications are extrapolations from research outside of consultation, they are viewed as hypotheses.     

社会互动视角下的人际情绪调节：概念、测量和理论取向

人际情绪调节指的是个体通过与他人的互动,对自己或他人情绪进行调节的社会加工过程,对人际互动和社会关系的维持具有重要的意义。本文基于人际情绪调节社会互动的视角,首先探讨了人际情绪调节的概念;其次简要介绍了人际情绪调节的测量方法及其优缺点,包括主观评价法,实验室法和动态评估法等;最后分别从沟通理论和过程理论两方面梳理了人际情绪调节的研究,并针对这两方面的理论取向,提出相应的未来研究方向。     

Enhancing social diffusion theory as a basis for prevention intervention: A conceptual and strategic framework

Social diffusion theory has recently been recognized as a promising approach for large-scale disease prevention and health promotion efforts. This paper describes how principles and tactics from social cognitive theory, operant psychology, social psychology, social marketing, and the overarching stages of change model can be used to further develop the conceptual and strategic (technological) bases of social diffusion theory. Within an integrative framework, we discuss in detail more effective ways to train peer mediators of behavior change as one example of how social diffusion theory can benefit from this conceptual and strategic reformulation. We then further illustrate the use of peer mediators of change in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and cancer prevention intervention studies with both interventions training peer mediators to diffuse information, norms, and risk reduction strategies. Although the results of these studies showed reductions in high-risk behaviors across population segments, more closely following the framework discussed in this article should further increase the behavior change potential of future interventions based on social diffusion theory.     

Willing and able? Theory of mind,social motivation,and social competence in middle childhood and early adolescence

This study investigated the links between theory of mind, social motivation, and children's social competence in middle childhood and early adolescence. Two hundred and sixty four children (136 girls, 128 boys) aged between 8 and 13 years (M Age = 10.88 years, SD = 1.45) completed theory-of-mind tests and self-report questionnaires measuring social motivation. Teachers rated children's social competence at school. Teacher-rated social competence was associated with individual differences in both theory of mind and children's motivation to develop and maintain social relationships. Results suggest that while individual differences in social motivation and theory of mind are partially overlapping, both theory of mind ability and social motivation contribute to successful social interaction at school.     

社会距离对成败行为性别归因偏差的影响

在陌生人和熟人两种社会距离下,让被试对同、异性成败行为进行归因,考查性别归因偏差现象(对异性美化、对同性贬损的归因)在社会距离上的变化。结果发现:(1)对于成功行为:被试对陌生异性做出的美化归因(能力-运气)显著高于陌生同性,出现性别归因偏差;被试对同、异性好友做出的美化归因差异不显著。(2)对于失败行为:被试对陌生同、异性做出的美化归因(运气-能力)差异不显著;被试对异性好友做出的美化归因显著高于同性,出现性别归因偏差。结论:性别归因偏差,在远社会距离他人表现成功时出现,表现失败时消失;在近社会距离他人表现成功时消失,表现失败时出现。结合相关研究和进化理论对结果进行了讨论。