What is Violence?

2. What is Violence? Behaviors by individuals that intentionally threaten, attempt, or inflict physical harm on others. (Reiss & Roth, 1993)

3. Biopsychosocial Model of Violence • Biological factors (genetic influences on temperament, risk-taking, IQ, impulsivity, etc.) • Psychological factors (child-rearing, traumatic experiences, learned values) • Socialfactors (social class, social justice, peer influences, etc.)

5. Theories of Aggression • 1. Frustration-Aggression Theory • Aggressive behavior is an automatic consequence of frustration in goal attainment (Dollard, Doob, Miller, Mowrer, & Sears, 1939, Frustration and Aggression). Theory reformulated by Berkowitz (1989, 1993). Theory applies best to “reactive aggression” (aka hostile, emotional, or affective aggression). • 2. Social Learning Theory • Aggressive behavior is learned from role models (Bandura, 1973). Modern versions emphasize learning of cognitive scripts for aggression. Theory applies best to instrumental or goal-directed aggression.

6. Reactive aggression Involves an angry response to provocation or frustration, sometimes termed affective aggression or hostile aggression. May indicate deficits in anger control, assertiveness, frustration tolerance, or conflict resolution skills. Instrumental aggression Use of aggression to attain a goal, often in the absence of anger or provocation. May indicate lack of empathy or concern for others, as well as socialization experiences that taught aggression.

7. Pathways to Violent Behavior Violence Provocation • Frustration • Threats • Opportunity • Vulnerability • Cognitive deficits • Poor coping skills • Emotional insecurity • Poor anger control • Learning • Culture • Role Models • Situation • Weapons • Intoxication • Accomplices • Lack of supervision • Inhibition • Empathy • Guilt • Punishment

8. 3 Pathways to Violent Behavior Psychotic Path Violence Antisocial Path Conflict Path

9. Look for patterns, not a single profile. Antisocial youth – instrumental crime Conflicted youth – reactive anger Psychotic youth – delusional motive

10. Antisocial Youth • Instrumental crimes • Under-controlled aggression • Antisocial peers • Delinquent history • Early childhood problems • School discipline history

11. Antisocial Youth:Response • Parent alliance • Separation from antisocial peers • Engage in prosocial activities • Juvenile court involvement • Probably not special ed eligible

12. Psychopathy • Most serious antisocial subgroup • Charming, glib, engaging • Manipulative, dishonest • Thrill-seeking, self-centered • Remorseless, unempathic • Highly violent, multiple crimes

13. Hare’s Description of Psychopathy Psychopathy can be differentiated from other personality disorders. . . . Interpersonally, psychopaths are grandiose, egocentric, manipulative, dominant, forceful, and cold-hearted. Affectively, they display shallow and labile emotions, are unable to form long-lasting bonds to people, principles, or goals, and are lacking in empathy, anxiety, and genuine guilt and remorse. Behaviorally, psychopaths are impulsive and sensation-seeking, and they readily violate social norms. The most obvious expressions of these predispositions involve criminality, substance abuse, and a failure to fulfill social obligations and responsibilities. (PCL-R Manual, 1991, p. 3)

14. Juvenile Psychopathy Controversial because of presumably pejorative labeling effects. Critics cite lack of evidence that psychopathy is a stable trait in youth and question whether it can be clearly distinguished from normal developmental variation.

15. Juvenile Psychopathy Study of 72 hospitalized adolescents • PCL correlated .49 with total aggression in hospital • Accurately classified 71% as aggressive or not aggressive. Stafford, E., & Cornell, D. (2003). Psychopathy scores predict adolescent inpatient aggression. Assessment, 10, 102-112.

16. Juvenile Psychopathy

17. Juvenile Psychopathy

18. Conflicted youth • Reactive violence of victims • Over-controlled hostility • Few previous overt behavior problems • Over-sensitive to shame • Intense need for approval, status • Suicidality

19. Personality Disorder • Borderline ego functioning • Unstable moods and suicidality • Devaluation and rage in relationships • Narcissism • Arrogance and grandiosity as a defense • Desperate need for attention and fame • Psychopathy • Manipulativeness and dishonesty • Thrill seeking, recklessness • Lack of empathy and concern for others

20. Borderline Adolescents • Psychotic-like behaviors(drug-induced psychosis, quasi-delusional statements) • Unstable moods (anxiety, inability to be alone, anger, depression and suicidal behavior) • Self-damaging behavior (drug use, recklessness, wrist cutting, sexual promiscuity, shoplifting, eating disorders) • Unstable relationships (idealization and devaluation, splitting, manipulativeness) • Identity problems (uncertainty about self, feel like different persons; problems with gender identity, values, loyalty, career goals; sense of emptiness and unreality)

21. Psychotic Youth • Delusional motive • Auditory hallucinations • Substance abuse • Resentment over mistreatment • Alienation from peers • Odd behaviors

22. Schools May Support Bullying • Staff overlook bullying • Administrators fail to follow-up when bullying is reported • Teachers tease or belittle students • Coaches permit initiation and hazing