High Risk Violent Offenders from the Theoretical Perspective of the Psychology of Criminal Conduct PCC

1. D A Andrews 1 High Risk Violent Offenders from the Theoretical Perspective of the Psychology of Criminal Conduct (PCC) Don Andrews Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Emeritus within the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada daandrews@rogers.com What Works Conference, Ottawa ON, November 2006

2. D A Andrews 2

3. D A Andrews 3 THEORY: Why some us do it? Why don�t we all do it? Social location theories: inequality in the distribution of social wealth and power makes people do it (age, ethnicity, race, class, gender, �..) Psychopathology: Mental illness makes people do it (or frees people to do it) Personal distress: Low self-esteem, alienation, powerlessness, anxiety Criminal motivations cause crime (why they do it?) Weak controls cause crime (why don�t we all do it?) It�s in our genes

4. D A Andrews 4 Victimization turns victims into offenders (physical, sexual, emotional abuse) Patriarchy / Capitalism / A Decadent Society Being labeled a �criminal� (labeling) The devil makes people do it (demonic possession) Your favourite theory �.

5. D A Andrews 5 MY FAVOURITE THEORY The Personal, Interpersonal and Community-Reinforcement Theory (PIC- R) A truly interdisciplinary general personality and cognitive social learning theoretical perspective on human behaviour General personality and cognitive social learning is everywhere in criminology, sociology, social work and psychology these days Psychodynamic, strain, social control, self-control, differential association >>> personality and cognitive social learning A strong set of perspectives but all within the set are works in progress

6. D A Andrews 6 Human behaviour is outcome oriented Important outcomes are the relatively immediate consequences of behaviour Behaviour may be defined in terms of particular acts more broadly in terms of roles and/or compliance with scripts or narratives The three major types of consequences are rewards, costs, and neutral events Rewards increase chances of repetition / role enactment Costs decrease chances of repetition / role enactment Neutral events have no impact on future beh

7. D A Andrews 7 Types of Rewards and Costs Additive Rewards: consequences that produce pleasure (addition of a positive) Subtractive Rewards: consequences that produce relief (withdrawing of a negative) Additive Costs: consequences that produce pain (addition of a negative) Subtractive Costs: consequences that produce frustration, disappointment, grief, sense of loss (withdrawing of a positive)

8. D A Andrews 8 Sources of Influence Human behaviour is influenced in multiple ways 1) Personally-mediated influence The person as full-functioning, active, deliberate, acting according to a plan, intentional. Human agency 2) Interpersonally-mediated influence Other people have direct influence 3) Non-mediated or automatic influence Unconscious, automatic, habitual, scripted, following a narrative

9. D A Andrews 9

10. D A Andrews 10

11. D A Andrews 11 Density of rewards and costs Density refers to the number, variety, magnitude and quality of the rewards/costs and the immediacy, frequency and regularity of their delivery

12. D A Andrews 12 Reducing Chances of Violence Reduce the density of the rewards for violence Increase the density of the costs for violence Increase the density of the rewards for non-violent alternatives Reduce the density of the costs for non-violent alternatives

13. D A Andrews 13 Types of Rewards: Additive Additive Rewards: consequences that produce pleasure (addition of a positive) Personal: �I did really well� �Keep this going� Interpersonal: Other say �that was great� �keep it going� Non-mediated: the action automatically produces an emotional response of �pleasure� (or, violence produces signs of submission, or�)

14. D A Andrews 14 Types of Rewards: Subtractive Subtractive Rewards: consequences that produce relief; removal of negative conditions including labels (withdrawing of a negative condition) Personal: Self-talk > �I was feeling weak, but now I know I am not a coward� Interpersonal: Other person says > �I thought you were a coward, but you are really brave to do that� Automatic: Aggression reduces negative emotion of anger. Drug ingestion relieves withdrawl distress / craving for drugs. Theft eases the pain of financial distress.

15. D A Andrews 15 Types of Costs Additive Costs: Painful negative events Subtractive Costs: The withdrawl or dampening of the number of background rewards and satisfactions. NOTE: Low levels of rewards and satisfactions for non-criminal activity means that the offender has �nothing to lose� as a function of criminal activity Subtractive punishment of crime is rendered very weak

16. D A Andrews 16 Best to Consider Both the Additive and the Subtractive Angry aggression: Tends to be reinforced through subtractive processes (the reduction of negative affect, the removal/destruction of a source of frustration) Instrumental aggression: Tends to be reinforced through additive processes (positive labeling by self or others; open up opportunities for money, sex and power through intimidation or force; domination)

17. D A Andrews 17 How would one know what the patterns of rewards and costs are for any particular person? Answer: ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT But ASSESS what???

18. D A Andrews 18 The Major Risk/Need and Strength Factors According to PIC-R Antisocial attitudes / cognitive emotional states Antisocial associates Antisocial personality pattern Antisocial behavioural history Problematic circumstances in the domains of school/work, family/marital, leisure/recreation Substance abuse

19. D A Andrews 19

20. D A Andrews 20 Background Factors Contributing to the Big 4 in the Immediate Situation of Action Age, ethnicity, gender, class of origin Neighborhood Family/marital School/work Leisure/recreation Victimization A history of substance abuse may be rendered an acute factor through abuse in the immediate situation

21. D A Andrews 21 Individualized Assessment: Functional Analysis of Target Behaviour Review prior occurrences in terms of Antecedent conditions: Thoughts, feelings, interpersonal and other circumstances // The target Behaviour (example: aggressive act) // Consequences: Thoughts, feelings, interpersonal and other events Identifying individualized situational risk factors Identifying individualized rewards present and the costs that are missing Identifying non-criminal alternative behaviors that might be introduced into the risky situation

22. D A Andrews 22 How Would You Know if Personally-Mediated Controls were Pro-Aggression / Anti-Aggression? Assess indicators of antisocial cognition as favourable or unfavourable to aggression: Attitudes, values, beliefs, rationalizations, personal narratives, schemas (psychological representation of a course of action) Deviant interests in the domains of sex, aggression, sadism Cognitive/emotional states of anger, resentment, feeling mistreated. Assess indicators of antisocial personality pattern: weak self-control skills poor problem solving skills externalize negative affect (anger, irritability) quick to �see� personal threats interpersonally disagreeable

23. D A Andrews 23 Assess for Personally-Mediated con�t Valuing the opinion of other people who may approve, disapprove or be neutral toward antisocial conduct Two assessment issues: 1) Degree of caring about the opinion of particular others (peers, parents, spouse�.) 2) The value position of the others (pro-criminal / anti-criminal / neutral)

24. D A Andrews 24 Personally-Mediated Influence: The Process Self-talk, self-regulation, self delivered rewards, self delivered costs Active self-control: Monitor own behaviour Compare behaviour with standards of conduct Self instructions, self imposed consequences depending upon results of comparison

25. D A Andrews 25 Personally Mediated Influence: Process con�t Active assessment / evaluation of situations, circumstances, events (viewing the world as a hostile place; hyper-sensitive to threats; blaming others for negative outcomes; externalizing). Active regulation of negative affect: distraction (don�t think about it), suppression (inhibiting expression), cognitive restructuring (benefit finding), withdrawal, venting (and hoping for �catharsis�), act-out, ��

26. D A Andrews 26 Interpersonally-Mediated: Process The presence and reactions of others may signal that a particular behaviour may be rewarded (or punished) Others may directly model particular acts Others may directly reward (or punish) particular acts Others may enable particular acts (driving the get-away car)

27. D A Andrews 27 Assessment for Interpersonal Support for Aggression Strong ties to criminal others, aggressive others Weak ties to anti-criminal non-aggressive others Ties assessed through attention to frequency of interaction, mutual liking, respect

28. D A Andrews 28 Assess for Non-Mediated / Automatic Temperamentally, certain acts may �fit� nicely with certain traits: * exciting crimes are attractive to risk takers, to those prone to boredom * violent crimes more likely for those prone to feeling mistreated to viewing the world as a hostile place * impulsive people go for the quick and easy aspects of aggression

29. D A Andrews 29 Assess for Non-Mediated / Automatic con�t With a behavioural history (repeated reinforcement) * aggression becomes habitual * positive self-efficacy beliefs become automatic (�I know I can do it, and I know the goodies will be delivered�) * enactment of aggressive scripts becomes automatic

30. D A Andrews 30 In Summary Assessments of the major risk/need factors in PCC make theoretical sense in the prediction of violence They speak to the extent to which personal, interpersonal and automatic influence processes are favourable or unfavourable to antisocial activity.

31. D A Andrews 31 PCC Enhances the Ability to Adhere with the RNR Model of Intervention Identify high risk cases, for purposes of level of supervision and service decisions (Risk) Identify specific criminogenic needs for purposes of targeting in rehabilitation planning and delivery (Need) Identify the major cognitive social learning behavioural influence strategies such as modeling, reinforcement and cognitive restructuring (Responsivity) Also specific responsivity, strengths, staff relationship and structuring skills, management and staffing issues, implementation�..

32. D A Andrews 32 Summary of Risk/Need Solid Evidence regarding the major risk/need factors identified by PCC Solid Evidence that offenders can be differentiated according to risk of criminal recidivism including violence However: Does adherence with RNR enhance crime prevention? Implementation & Staff and Management Issues Jim Bonta >>>>>>>> Steve Wormith