The therapeutic alliance in offending behavior change programs: therapist perspectives and practises

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Julie Kozar ◽  
Andrew Day
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Group Treatment ◽  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Violent Offenders ◽  
Group Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Correctional Programs ◽  
Offending Behavior ◽  
Therapist Perspectives

Purpose Offending behavior change programs play an important role in the prevention of criminal behavior, particularly when offered to violent offenders. There is, however, little consensus about how content should be delivered, despite agreement that the development of a strong therapeutic alliance (TA) is an important determinant of outcome. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the TA is formed within correctional programs. Design/methodology/approach In total, 27 therapists who delivered correctional group treatment explored issues relating to the role of the alliance in offending behavior programs. A grounded theory methodology was employed to develop a conceptual understanding of therapist perspectives and practises. Findings Three different modes of practice were identified: “educative” to enforce boundaries of group behavior; “engagement” to promote a collaborative approach; and “therapeutic” to enhance client insight. Practical implications Greater awareness of the skills and supports required to successfully develop strong TAs in correctional populations may assist better retention and treatment outcomes in offending behavior programs. The ability to work flexibly between different modes of practise may prove important to rehabilitation efforts. Originality/value A model of the TA based on therapists’ accounts of their practise in correctional programs is presented. It is anticipated that, particularly for novice correctional therapists, exploration of the ways in which the alliance can be established and ruptures responded to will enhance treatment efficacy, particularly in treating violent offenders who can be challenging to engage.

Achieving leadership behavior change at scale

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 309-318
Author(s):  
Tom Rose
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Leadership Behavior ◽  
Leadership Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
High Performing ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
New Research

Purpose The growing force of disruptive change is creating whitewater work environments across the profit and not-for-profit world. To help leaders overcome the challenge of achieving improvements in leadership performance, this study aims to outline research and case examples that illustrate a four-point roadmap for improving this performance at scale. Design/methodology/approach The study summarizes new research on leadership and organizational high performance and practices that drive high performance today. It relates these finding to trends evidenced in the work being done by HR organizations and the consulting firms that serve them. It then outlines an evidence-based roadmap for achieving improvements in leadership performance that HR organizations can adopt to achieve improvements in leadership performance. Findings Successful organizations intervene at four leverage points to meet the challenge achieving the shifts in leadership behavior needed for success in today’s permanent whitewater environments. These organizations are focusing on two types of leadership, leveraging two approaches to its development and are leveraging critical enablers that benefit from strong alignments within HR and between HR and their business leader colleagues. Originality/value The study highlights new research finding and research-based models of leadership performance that meet the demands of today’s workplace. It synthesizes a new four-point roadmap to success from trends discovered in recent research on leadership, technology-assisted behavior change and organizational effectiveness, as well as in the example of in high-performing organizations.

scholarly journals Therapeutic Alliance Between Dietitians and Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: The Effect of Training in a Health Behavior Change Intervention

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 756-768
Author(s):  
Rebecca Murray ◽  
Amanda Baker ◽  
Sean Halpin ◽  
Ben Britton ◽  
Kristen McCarter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head And Neck Cancer ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Motivational Interviewing ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Neck Cancer ◽  
Health Behavior Change ◽  
Behavior Change Intervention ◽  
Interviewing Techniques

Abstract Background The relationship between a clinician and their client—the “therapeutic alliance” is a robust predictor of outcome in healthcare settings; yet, few interventions to improve alliance have been tested. Motivational interviewing is a client-centered approach that embodies many principles and strategies consistent with a strong therapeutic alliance. Purpose To examine whether alliance is enhanced by training dietitians to deliver a motivational interviewing informed health behavior change intervention (“Eating as Treatment”; EAT) as part of routine consultations with patients with head and neck cancer. The predictive ability of motivational interviewing techniques was also assessed. Methods A secondary analysis of the EAT stepped-wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted. Patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy (n = 307) were treated by radiotherapy dietitians (n = 29) during the control (Treatment as Usual) or intervention (EAT) phase. Alliance was rated during the first and final weeks of radiotherapy, and again 4 and 12 weeks post-radiotherapy. Dietetic sessions were audiotaped. Week one sessions were objectively rated for dietitians’ use of motivational interviewing techniques. Results Generalized linear-mixed effects regressions found no effect of EAT on dietitian-rated alliance (p = .237). After excluding outliers, patient-rated alliance was 0.29 points lower after EAT training (p = .016). Post hoc analyses revealed lower patient ratings on perceived support and dietitian confidence. Hierarchical multiple regressions found that no specific motivational interviewing techniques predicted patient-rated alliance. Dietitian acknowledgment of patient challenges was related to dietitian-rated alliance (β =.15, p =.035). Conclusions Patient and dietitian ratings of alliance were high after EAT training, but not significantly improved. Further research is needed to better understand the differential impact of intervention training and delivery on patient and clinician ratings of therapeutic alliance. Clinical Trial information Trial registration number ACTRN12613000320752

scholarly journals Enactments of a “holistic approach” in two Danish welfare institutions accommodating young adults with offending behavior and drug use experiences

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-219
Author(s):  
Maria Dich Herold ◽  
Cecilia Rand ◽  
Vibeke Asmussen Frank
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Institutional Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
Welfare Institutions ◽  
Offending Behavior ◽  
Offending Behaviour

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss how a “holistic approach” is enacted in two interventions accommodating the same target group, young adults with offending behaviour and drug use experiences, but offered in very different contexts, the Prison Service and the community. The aim is to show how enactments of a “holistic approach”, although similar on paper, differ in welfare institutional practices due especially to organisational and structural conditions. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews and written material from and about the two interventions. Findings Different enactments of a “holistic approach”, due to organisational and structural conditions of the interventions, construct different possibilities for institutional identities. These insights could be useful to take into consideration when discussing prevention initiatives (in a broad sense) for young people with complex problems, including co-occurring offending behaviour and drug use experience. Originality/value Research with a focus on citizens with complex problems who do not comply with OR conform to standard welfare institutions are limited. The authors contribute to this literature by focussing on young adults with offending behaviour and drug experiences.

“The beat of my heart”: the relationship between resting heart rate and psychopathy in a prospective longitudinal study

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henriette Bergstrøm ◽  
David P. Farrington
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Resting Heart Rate ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Negative Relationships

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between resting heart rate (RHR) and psychopathy. The literature on heart rate vs criminality (including violence) is quite clear; low RHR is associated with engaging in violent and criminal behavior. However, results are not as consistent for psychopathy. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes heart rate measured at ages 18 and 48, and psychopathy at age 48, in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (CSDD). The CSDD is a prospective longitudinal study that has followed 411 boys from childhood to middle age, and measured social and biological factors of interest to the field of criminal psychology. Findings Interestingly, it was only heart rate at age 18 that was negatively and significantly related to psychopathy at age 48. No trends or relationships were found between heart rate at age 48 and psychopathy at age 48. The findings do, however, indicate that low heart rate at age 18 predicts psychopathy at age 48, and the strongest negative relationships are found between low heart rate (beats per minute) and impulsive and antisocial psychopathic symptoms. Originality/value This is the first ever longitudinal study showing that low RHR predicts later psychopathy. Suggestions for future research are outlined.

Distinguishing homicide, violent sexual, and violent juvenile offending

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Baglivio ◽  
Kevin T. Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Effortful Control ◽  
Juvenile Offender ◽  
Violent Offenders ◽  
Negative Emotionality ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Violent Offender ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine temperament differences, notably effortful control and negative emotionality, and correlates that distinguish between homicide, violent sexual and other violent juvenile offenders. Exploring heterogeneity among violent offenders is relevant to intervention strategies and policy implications. Design/methodology/approach Demographic measures, temperament constructs and individual risk factor indicators were assessed across 30,303 violent juvenile offenders (including 397 homicide offenders) in Florida to assess their ability to distinguish among violent juvenile offender subgroups. Findings Analyses demonstrated temperament constructs distinguish among classifications of violent juvenile offenders with effortful control differentiating homicide and violent sexual offenders from other violent offenders, and negative emotionality distinguishing violent sexual from other violent offenders, with youth having greater negative emotionality and less effortful control being non-sexual violent offenders. Homicide offenders were more likely to be older, male and had histories of gang membership and weapon/firearm offending than other violent offenders, and evidenced greater negative emotionality than violent sexual offenders. Originality/value The differences across violent youthful offender subtypes suggest heterogeneity among violent offenders with distinct correlates more predictive of some subtypes than others. Additionally, the temperament constructs of effortful control and negative emotionality are useful in distinguishing violent offender subtypes, which points toward differing intervention/treatment strategies.

Emotion regulation during deception: an EEG study of imprisoned fraudsters

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Krokoszinski ◽  
Daniela Hosser
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Violent Offenders ◽  
Alpha Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Emotional Processes ◽  
Left Dlpfc ◽  
The Social ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Regulation Strategies

Purpose – The social interaction between a deceiver and the deceived opponent is a determining factor for deception that involves emotions. Hence, besides a great amount of cognitive control, a successful lie also requires the regulation of emotions, especially when deceiving somebody face-to-face. The purpose of this paper is to investigate emotion regulation processes in an interpersonal lying experiment and aimed to examine whether fraudsters have well-functioning emotion regulation strategies or show a lack of emotional processes when deceiving face-to-face. Design/methodology/approach – Imprisoned fraudsters (n=11), imprisoned violent offenders (n=10) and non-offenders (n=11) spontaneously deceived an interrogator in a face-to-face situation while the deceivers’ EEG was recorded. Findings – The results showed that a decrease of alpha activity in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) predicted a higher frequency of deceptive responses as well as less guilt about deceiving the interrogator. These findings suggest a pivotal role of the left dlPFC in emotion regulation during deception for fraudsters, violent offenders and non-offenders. Unlike violent offenders, fraudsters did not show differences in alpha activity of the dlPFC between truthful and deceptive responses, suggesting that fraudsters are better at emotion regulation while deceiving their opponents. Originality/value – This study emphasizes the recruitment of emotion regulation processes during deception. The results give first insight into the emotional processes underlying deception in fraudsters.

Contextual variability in biopsychosocial pathways to violent offending

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Fenimore ◽  
Wesley G. Jennings
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Violent Behavior ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Maladaptive Behavior ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Violent Offending ◽  
Violent Criminal ◽  
Biopsychosocial Theory ◽  
Contextual Variability

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use data from the Longitudinal Study of Violent Criminal Behavior in the USA to examine case configurations of violent behavior using a biopsychosocial framework. Specifically, the theory posits that arguably all behavior is the result of specific combinations of biopsychological (individual) and sociocultural (environmental) characteristics that are interacting within the individual. With regard to criminal and violent behavior, the theoretical assumption is that this maladaptive behavior is the result of a negative interaction between the biopsychological and sociocultural factors. Design/methodology/approach The study design consists of secondary data analysis. A conjunctive analysis of case configurations was performed using data from the Longitudinal Survey of Violent Criminal Behavior to formally explore the tenets of Cortés and Gatti’s (1972) biopsychosocial theory. Findings The results suggest that there are main effects for ego strength, family problems, family incohesiveness and underachievement as they relate to offending. A possible six-way interaction was also identified within the case configurations that provides empirical support for Cortés and Gatti’s (1972) biopsychosocial theory of deviance. Originality/value The present study contributes to the existing biopsychosocial literature by providing insight on the contextual variability in pathways to violent offending. Specifically, the evidence provided indicates that Cortés and Gatti’s (1972) biopsychosocial theory of deviance can be extended to comparing violent and non-violent offenders. Implications for policy and practice are also discussed.

scholarly journals Toward data-based clinical decision making for adults with challenging behavior using the Behavior Problems Inventory-Short Form (BPI-S)

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren L. Bowring ◽  
Vasiliki Totsika ◽  
Richard P. Hastings ◽  
Sandy Toogood
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Challenging Behavior ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Challenging Behaviors ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clinically Significant

Purpose The Behavior Problems Inventory-Short Form (BPI-S) is a shorter version of the Behavior Problems Inventory-01. In this paper, BPI-S population norms are reported from a total administrative population of adults with intellectual disability (ID). To facilitate the use of the BPI-S in clinical services to assess behavior change, the purpose of this paper is to describe how to use BPI-S clinically significant and reliable change (RC) scores. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered on 265 adults with ID known to services. Proxy informants completed the BPI-S on challenging behaviors over the previous six months. Clinically significant cut-off values and RC scores were calculated using the Jacobson and Truax’s (1991) method. Findings BPI-S clinical reference data are presented to provide benchmarks for individual and group comparisons regarding challenging behavior. Examples demonstrate how to use clinical norms to determine change. Practical implications Behavior change is a major goal of researchers and practitioners. Data from the present study can make the BPI-S a valuable tool for determining change in challenging behavior following service input or intervention. Originality/value Whilst well used in research, the BPI-S may be less extensively used in practice. This present study provides data to enable researchers and practitioners to use the BPI-S more widely in assessing clinical outcomes, such as intervention research and service evaluation.

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