scholarly journals The Pursuit of Primary Human Goods in Men Desisting From Sexual Offending

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Arlanda Harris ◽  
Amelie Pedneault ◽  
Gwenda Willis

The good lives model proposes at least 10 primary human goods that are thought to be common to all individuals which, when secured, contribute to enhanced well-being and life satisfaction. Prosocial attainment of primary human goods is thought to promote desistance from crime. However, individuals convicted of sexual offenses face significant obstacles upon their reentry into the community that likely undermine their ability to obtain such goods. The current study explored the pursuit and attainment of primary human goods in a U.S. sample of men convicted of sexual offenses. We interviewed 42 men released into the community to examine the extent to which they desired and pursued primary human goods. Results highlighted that participants valued many of the human goods outlined in the good lives model, but their means to achieve them were restricted considerably by their correctional status. “Interpersonal relationships” and “life/survival” emerged most frequently during the interviews and were identified as the two most important goods. We discuss the negative impact of recent policies on participants’ ability to pursue and attain human goods as well as the value of attending regular treatment in obtaining the goods of “knowledge” and “community.” Implications for policy and directions for future research are provided.

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 908-929
Author(s):  
Miriam Ryan ◽  
Mathew McCauley ◽  
Davina Walsh

Sexual offenses evoke strong emotional responses and frequently elicit demands from society that offenders be indefinitely incarcerated or treated until they are deemed safe, which may impact the provision of therapeutic treatment for offenders. However, in recent years, there has been a proposal to move toward a positive, strengths-based treatment approach, namely the Good Lives Model (GLM). The present study used semi-structured interviews and a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine the experience of 13 men who were voluntarily engaging in or had completed a GLM community-based treatment program. A conceptual model emerged which outlines the process the men underwent, the factors they identified as crucial for change, and the perceived gains. The model extends previous work by exploring the process from the clients’ perspective. Implications for future research, prevention, and treatment are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-300
Author(s):  
Jenna Zeccola ◽  
Sally Fiona Kelty ◽  
Douglas Boer

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the efficacy of good lives model (GLM) interventions on the recidivism outcomes of convicted offenders. Design/methodology/approach The review adhered to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis and Cochrane guidelines. Digital databases were searched and articles reporting outcomes of the GLM amongst convicted offenders and outcomes including recidivism data and pre-post measures of dynamic risk were included in a narrative synthesis. Findings Of 1,791 articles screened, only six studies met the criteria for review. Key findings were: in half the reviewed studies, GLM did not increase recidivism risk; in half the reviewed studies, only when the correct treatment dosage was applied that some evidence of risk reduction was found; there was limited support for GLM increasing or sustaining motivation for resistance from reoffending. Research for the review was limited and support for the GLM in reducing recidivism rates was not established. Practical implications In this 2021 review, the authors examined the efficacy of the GLM in reducing recidivism. This addresses a gap in the literature. The authors found that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that the GLM can reduce recidivism. This has implications for practitioners who wish to deliver evidence-based practices in prison/community settings. There is currently not enough peer-reviewed evidence to unequivocally confirm the efficacy of the GLM. The authors recommended additional quality programme outcome research be carried out. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to assess quantitative and qualitative studies on the efficacy of the GLM and provides foundations for future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Berger ◽  
Florian Bitsch ◽  
Irina Falkenberg

Humor is a ubiquitous human characteristic that is socially motivated at its core and has a broad range of significant positive effects on emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships. Simultaneously, however, impairments in humor abilities have often been described in close association with the occurrence and course of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, social anxiety, or depression. In the past decade, research in the neuroimaging and psychiatric domain has substantially progressed to (i) characterize impaired humor as an element of psychopathology, and (ii) shed light on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the role of humor in neuropsychiatric diseases. However, (iii) targeted interventions using concepts of positive psychology have revealed first evidence that a systematic training and/or a potential reactivation of humor-related skills can improve rehabilitative outcome in neuropsychiatric patient groups. Here, we sought to integrate evidence from neuroscience, as well as from psychopathology and treatment research to shed more light on the role of humor in psychiatry. Based on these considerations, we provide directions for future research and application in mental health services, focusing on the question of how our scientific understanding of humor can provide the basis for psychological interventions that foster positive attitudes and well-being.


2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052092863
Author(s):  
Louise Almond ◽  
Martha Sainsbury ◽  
Michelle McManus

The aim of this study was to thematically explore the relationship between crime scene behaviors and background characteristics of offenders who commit sexual offenses against female victims aged 60 years or more. Research and understanding of offense behaviors in this area is extremely limited; therefore, the study sought to provide a preliminary understanding and multivariate model of offense behaviors in cases where older female adults were sexually abused. Twenty-seven crime scene behaviors from 143 rape or attempted rape cases of an older adult victim were analyzed; frequency data were computed to provide base rate information, and Smallest Space Analysis provided a visual representation of the co-occurrence of crime scene behaviors. Three distinct dominant themes were identified, in which 56% of offenses displayed themes of Involvement (22%), Control (17%), and Hostility (16%). The relationship between each dominant theme and selected background characteristics was then analyzed. For example, offenders displaying an Involvement theme were found to be significantly less likely to have prior convictions. Significance was also found in the relationship between dominant themes and a “theft and kindred offence other” preconviction background characteristic. The findings demonstrate offending behavior can be separated into three distinct themes, providing an explanation of offender subtypes and supporting previous models found in other types of sexual offending. Applications for law enforcement agencies regarding identified themes and links with likely offender background characteristics are highlighted. Limitations and future research avenues are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Kadylak

Phubbing refers to the nonverbal behavior of glancing at, or using, one’s mobile phone during a face-to-face (FtF) interaction, whereby the mobile-phone-checking behavior is perceived to breach expectations of attention or etiquette. In general, phubbing can negatively affect interpersonal relationships and well-being. When younger family members’ phubbing behavior is perceived by older adult relatives as a violation of their conversational expectations, these older adults may feel ignored and disrespected. This study may be the first to investigate the associations between intergenerational family phubbing expectancy violations and indicators of well-being among older adults. Survey data were derived from a sample of U.S. Internet users aged 65 or above ( n = 679). The results suggested that both perceived frequency of family phubbing and family phubbing expectancy violations were inversely associated with mattering and indicators of well-being. Study limitations and potential directions for future research are discussed.


Sexual Abuse ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 907-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Paquette ◽  
Franca Cortoni

Tools designed to measure the cognitions of individuals who engage in sexual activities with children over the Internet are either based on knowledge about men who had committed contact sexual offenses or cognitive phenomena not specifically associated to offending behaviors. Thus, there is no validated tool specifically designed to assess the offense-supportive cognitions of men who use the Internet to sexually offend children. This study developed and validated the Cognitions of Internet Sexual Offending (C-ISO) scale. A sample of 241 men with online and contact sexual as well as with nonsexual offenses completed the C-ISO scale and its psychometric properties, and latent structure was analyzed using both Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT), resulting in a final version containing 31 items. The analyses indicate that the C-ISO has excellent psychometric properties and discriminates men with online sexual offenses from those with contact sexual and nonsexual offenses. Implications of the findings for clinical practice and future research are discussed.


Sexual Abuse ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Seto

In this article, I describe the motivation-facilitation model of sexual offending, which identifies the traits of paraphilia, high sex drive, and intense mating effort as primary motivations for sexual offenses, as well as trait (e.g., antisocial personality) and state (e.g., intoxication) factors that can facilitate acting on these motivations when opportunities exist. Originally developed to explain contact sexual offending against children, the motivation-facilitation model was subsequently extended as an explanation for child pornography offending and for online solicitations of young adolescents. Here, I argue it has the potential to be expanded to explain other forms of sexual offending, including sexual assaults of adults and noncontact offenses involving exhibitionism or voyeurism. In this review, I critically examine the evidence for and against the model, discuss its limitations, and identify critical gaps for future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 5897-5907
Author(s):  
Sri Gaurab Pratim Hazarika, Dr. (Mrs.) Neeta Kalita Barua

Stress is normally an unavoidable part of everyone’s life living in this world. It portrays a negative notion that can have an impact on one’s mental and physical well-being. Stress is always regarded as a psychological process that involves an individual’s personal interpretation and response to any threatening event. Stress is an unavoidable part of life everybody meet with stress in his/ her life; it can take a toll on students‟ physical health, mental health, and academic success and even on every part of life unless they discover to cope with it appropriately. Stress has a negative impact on one’s mental and physical wellbeing. Throughout a lifetime, one may experience thousands of different episodes of stress. It means that stress may be a normal, adaptive reaction to threat. Its role is to signal and prepare individuals to take defensive action. Take for instance, fear of things that present realistic threats motivates individuals to deal with them or avoid them. . College and Post Graduation students experience stress connected to changes in lifestyle, increased workload, new tasks, interpersonal relationships and a lot of other things. Tremendous levels of stress can hinder work efficacy and lead to meagre academic performance and at the same time it affects one’s overall happiness.


2012 ◽  
pp. 873-884
Author(s):  
Holly H. Schiffrin ◽  
Melissa Falkenstern

Self-disclosure, the sharing of personal information between communication partners, has long been a topic of interest due to the large impact it plays in the development of interpersonal relationships (Altman & Taylor, 1973). As the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) has increased, so has the interest in the impact it may have on self-disclosure and relationship development. Several theories have been posited to explain the impact that the medium of communication has on self-disclosure. Although some theories have predicted a negative impact of CMC on self-disclosure (Daft & Lengel, 1986; Kock, 2005), several researchers have found that CMC increases self-disclosure (McKenna & Bargh, 2000; Valkenberg & Peter, 2009a; Walther, 1996). This article discusses the main theories that explain the nature of online self-disclosure, the possible mechanisms by which CMC serves to increase self-disclosure, and impact that online self-disclosure has on interpersonal relationships and well-being.


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