“Scum of the Earth”: Animus and Violence Against Sex Offenders in Canadian Penitentiaries

Scrivens, Ryan; Ricciardelli, Rosemary

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04930-0_3

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Not allowing therapy to become meaningful is an emotion regulation strategy that allows residents to retain control and protect themselves from disappointment or rejection (Gross, 2002). Fear of rejection may be especially relevant to those with sexual convictions, for whom making disclosures about sexual transgressions would typically expose them to stigma and moral outrage (Scrivens & Ricciardelli, 2019). P2's perception that no one else is engaging in therapy suggests a lack of group cohesiveness, which is likely to negatively impact upon treatment outcomes (Beech & Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2005 Extract eight conveys a sense that, for group therapy to be "productive," it is important that other residents are perceived as being authentic.…”

Section: Subordinate Theme 2:1-the Importance Of Being Authenticmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The current study aims to add to this limited field of research by qualitatively analyzing the accounts of adult men with sexual convictions who dropped out of a TC in the UK before they had completed therapy. To the authors knowledge there has been no empirical research that has qualitatively considered why people with sexual convictions fail to complete therapy within TCs, despite their experiences being distinctive due to the level of hostility they face from other prisoners (Scrivens & Ricciardelli, 2019). By illuminating the experiences and perceptions of people with sexual convictions who dropped out of therapy before completion, it is hoped this study will bolster knowledge of the issues surrounding TC attrition for this group.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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“I’ve Got the Energy to Change, But I Haven’t Got the Energy for This Kinda Therapy”: A Qualitative Analysis of the Motivations Behind Democratic Therapeutic Community Drop-Out for Men With Sexual Convictions

Duncan

Winder

Blagden

et al. 2020

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol

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Prison-based democratic therapeutic communities (TCs) provide an alternative to mainstream prison, where prisoners can work on psychological difficulties and address offending behavior. Research demonstrates TCs are effective at reducing reoffending rates for residents who stay in therapy 18+ months, and those who drop out of TCs offend at a significantly higher rate than those who complete therapy. Thus, it is important to reduce attrition in TCs. No research has yet explored the explanations for TC drop out offered by those with sexual convictions. The present study uses Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to qualitatively explore the accounts of men with sexual convictions ( n = 7) who dropped out of a TC in a UK prison. Results highlight that issues surrounding external responsivity, therapeutic relationships, and treatment readiness were salient in the participants’ accounts of drop out. This research has implications for TCs seeking to better understand and address attrition of people with sexual convictions.

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Section: Subordinate Theme 2:1-the Importance Of Being Authenticmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“I’ve Got the Energy to Change, But I Haven’t Got the Energy for This Kinda Therapy”: A Qualitative Analysis of the Motivations Behind Democratic Therapeutic Community Drop-Out for Men With Sexual Convictions

Duncan

Winder

Blagden

et al. 2020

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol

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“…Bosma et al ( 22 ) describe six relevant domains pertaining to prison climate: safety, relationships inside the prison, facilities, contact with the outside world, meaningful activities, and autonomy. Because of the stigma surrounding sexual offenses, PSOs often find themselves low in the prison hierarchy, which impacts the first two domains in particular ( 23 – 27 ). Research has shown that PSOs are often subject to verbal and even physical violence by other inmates and security staff ( 28 – 31 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Separate units for incarcerated people who committed sexual offenses: luxury or necessity?

et al. 2023

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IntroductionThe policy on treatment of people who commit sexual offenses (PSOs) varies greatly across countries, creating different treatment environments. This study was conducted in Flanders (i.e., the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) where PSOs receive their treatment in the community. Before this transfer takes place, many PSOs spend time inside prison together with other offenders. This raises the question to what extent PSOs are safe in prison and whether this period would benefit from an integrated therapeutic program. This qualitative research study focuses on the possibility of separate housing for PSOs by examining the current experiences of incarcerated PSOs and contextualizing those with the professional experience of national and international experts in the field.MethodsBetween 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, 22 semi-structured interviews and six focus groups took place. Participants were comprised of 9 imprisoned PSOs, 7 international experts on prison-based PSO treatment, 6 prison officer supervisors, 2 prison management delegates, 21 healthcare workers (both inside and outside prison), 6 prison policy coordinators, and 10 psychosocial service staff members.ResultsNearly all interviewed PSOs reported suffering at the hands of fellow inmates or prison staff because of the nature of their offenses, varying from exclusion and bullying to physical violence. These experiences were corroborated by the Flemish professionals. Consistent with scientific research, the international experts all reported working with incarcerated PSOs who reside in living units separate from other offenders and the therapeutic benefits to this approach. Despite this growing evidence, the Flemish professionals remained reluctant to implement separate living units for PSOs in prisons because of the perceived risk of increased cognitive distortions and further isolation of this already stigmatized group.ConclusionThe Belgian prison system is not currently organized to create separate living units for PSOs, which has important ramifications for the safety and therapeutic opportunities of these vulnerable prisoners. International experts emphasize a clear benefit for introducing separate living units where a therapeutic environment can be created. Although this would have significant organizational and policy-oriented implications, it would be useful to explore whether these practices could be implemented in Belgian prisons as well.

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Prison-Based Democratic Therapeutic Community

Robinson-Edwards

2021

Faith, Identity and Homicide

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“Scum of the Earth”: Animus and Violence Against Sex Offenders in Canadian Penitentiaries

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

“I’ve Got the Energy to Change, But I Haven’t Got the Energy for This Kinda Therapy”: A Qualitative Analysis of the Motivations Behind Democratic Therapeutic Community Drop-Out for Men With Sexual Convictions

“I’ve Got the Energy to Change, But I Haven’t Got the Energy for This Kinda Therapy”: A Qualitative Analysis of the Motivations Behind Democratic Therapeutic Community Drop-Out for Men With Sexual Convictions

Separate units for incarcerated people who committed sexual offenses: luxury or necessity?

Prison-Based Democratic Therapeutic Community

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