Gang membership: The psychological evidence.

There is a growth in literature on the presence of gangs in metropolitan areas across the UK (e.g., Bennett and Holloway 2004; Sharp et al. 2006). To date, gang research has been primarily criminological and sociological in nature (Wood and Alleyne 2010), yet psychological findings have highlighted the individual differences that distinguish gang and nongang youth with similar social and environmental circumstances. Also, there is an abundance of psychological literature examining group processes, and considering that the gang is in fact, a group phenomenon, the literature linking group psychology and gangs is scant. The purpose of this chapter is to shed light on the psychological group processes that underpin gang membership and gang-related crime by presenting recent findings from research conducted in the UK. These findings, grounded within the framework of interactional theory, cover four main themes (1) the psychological effects of neighborhood gangs, (2) gang structure and intragroup processes, (3) the role of antiauthority attitudes in gangs, and (4) the role of psychology in gang-related behaviors. These four themes are discussed in the context of theory development and further study

Animal abuse as an outcome of poor emotion regulation: A preliminary conceptualization

Animal abuse is an under-reported yet prevalent form of both passive and active forms of aggressive behavior. Its severe and upsetting consequences are not only experienced by the victims themselves, but also others in proximity (e.g., pet owners). Despite this, research and theory focusing on the motivations for such behavior appear to be sparse and limited in development when compared to other types of offending behavior, such as interpersonal violence. This article examines the motivations that underlie animal abuse and the maladaptive emotion regulation techniques that facilitate this type of behavior. We focus on two specific emotion regulation styles that have been implicated in existing literature; that is, the mis-regulation and under-regulation of emotions. Based on existing research and theories, we posit that the facilitative role emotion regulation plays in the perpetration of animal abuse is vital in our understanding of how and why this abuse occurs. In this article, we present a preliminary conceptualization of animal abuse behavior that depicts emotion regulation as a pivotal factor in key explanatory pathways

The psychological impact of slaughterhouse employment: A systematic literature review

The role of a slaughterhouse worker (SHW) involves the authorized killing of living beings, yet there is limited understanding of the consequences this behavior has on their well-being. The purpose of this systematic review is to collate and evaluate the current literature on the psychological impact of slaughterhouse employment. Fourteen studies met the specific a priori inclusion criteria. The findings from this review were demarcated by the focus of studies: (1) the prevalence of mental health disorders, (2) the types of coping mechanisms used, and (3) the link between slaughterhouse employment and crime perpetration. It was found that SHWs have a higher prevalence rate of mental health issues, in particular depression and anxiety, in addition to violence-supportive attitudes. Furthermore, the workers employ a variety of both adaptive and maladaptive strategies to cope with the workplace environment and associated stressors. Finally, there is some evidence that slaughterhouse work is associated with increased crime levels. The research reviewed has shown a link between slaughterhouse work and antisocial behavior generally and sexual offending specifically. There was no support for such an association with violent crimes, however. Based on existing research, we suggest future directions for research (i.e., applying more methodological rigor) but highlight key findings for practitioners and policymakers that warrant attention

The Psychology of Animal Cruelty: An Introduction to the Special Issue

As guest editors for Psychology, Crime, and Law, it is with great pleasure that we present this Special Issue, “The Psychology of Animal Cruelty”. In this introductory article, we offer broad insights into what we think to be the importance of studying this type of offending behavior. This forms the basis and justification for putting together this compilation of research, which spans three continents, that is diverse in theory application, method and research design. We provide brief synopses for the articles included in this issue. These articles cover the social and psychological factors related to child and adult perpetrators, offence heterogeneity (e.g., varying levels of abuse severity), victim characteristics, amongst other features of animal cruelty. We also offer a commentary on where the research can go next, identifying specific gaps in the existing literature. We conclude that there is an abundance of extant, related research that we can draw upon to inform future studies (e.g., implicit theories, scripts/schemas, dynamic risk factors) and clinical practice

Gang membership: Behavioural, social psychological characteristics

The existence of gangs can no longer be regarded as an urban myth in Europe (Klein, Kerner, Maxson, & Weitekamp, 2001). There is a growth in literature on the presence of gangs in metropolitan areas across the UK (e.g. Bradshaw, 2005; Everard, 2006; Shropshire & McFarquhar, 2002). To date, gang research has been primarily criminological and sociological in nature (Bennett & Holloway, 2004; Wood & Alleyne, 2010), and since criminological theories pay scant attention to the social psychological processes involved in joining a gang (Thornberry, Krohn, Lizotte, Smith, & Tobin, 2003) there is a real need to understand more about the psychology of gang involvement (Wood & Alleyne, 2010). To that end, this thesis sheds light on the psychological processes that underpin gang membership and gang- related crime. While the purpose of this thesis, is not to test theory, Thornberry and colleagues’ (2003) Interactional Theory was used to improve understanding and make educated inferences about the relationships between gang involvement and its correlates. Four studies were conducted concurrently. The first study laid the foundation by illustrating the social context in which gangs manifest and sustain themselves. Study two showed how attitudes, perceptions, and cognitions interact with varying levels of gang involvement providing insight into the development of gang members. Study three demonstrated how psychological processes work hand- in-hand with social factors to reinforce the gang culture. Finally, study four addressed the behavioural outcome of gang involvement, gang-related crime, by examining its predictors and correlates. These four studies are discussed in the context of theory development, and prevention/intervention programmes and policy. In summary, the findings of this thesis expand on the current literature by uniquely examining the role of psychological processes that elaborate on why young people become involved in gangs. These findings also highlight areas for future research

Animal Abuse Proclivity: Behavioral, Personality and Regulatory Factors Associated with Varying Levels of Severity

To date, research into adult-perpetrated animal abuse has consisted of studies using forensic and psychiatric samples. Given that animal abuse goes largely unreported, it is unclear whether the findings from the current literature are generalizable to unapprehended, undetected abusers in the community. However, the emergence of proclivity methodologies fill this gap by examining the relationships between animal abuse propensity and factors such as empathy, attitudes towards animals and antisocial behavior. The current study aimed to extend this literature by examining further individual-level variables (i.e., personality traits) and behavioral factors as correlates of animal abuse proclivity and as a function of varying levels of animal abuse severity (e.g., neglect versus severe violence). 150 participants took part in this correlational study. We found low extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, anger regulation, and illegal behavior to be significant factors related to animal abuse proclivity. We also found low extraversion, anger regulation, and illegal behavior to be significant factors across varying levels of animal abuse severity, but low neuroticism to be a unique factor related to less severe forms of animal abuse proclivity. These findings are further discussed in light of their theoretical and treatment implications

Not the Sum of Its Parts: A Critical Review of the MacDonald Triad

The MacDonald triad posits that animal cruelty, fire setting, and bed wetting in childhood is indicative of later aggressive and violent behavior in adults. Researchers refer to this phenomenon as a precursor to later antisocial behaviors including serial and sexual murder; while practitioners cite the triad in clinical formulations and risk assessments. However, there is yet to be a critical review and consolidation of the literature that establishes whether there is empirical support. This article explores the validity of the triad. We conducted a narrative review of the relevant studies examining the MacDonald triad and its individual constituents. There is evidence that any one of the triad behaviors could predict future violent offending, but it is very rare to find all three behaviors together as predictors. Thus, the empirical research on the MacDonald triad does not fully substantiate its premise. Rather, it would appear that the triad, or its individual constituents, is better used as an indicator of dysfunctional home environments, or poor coping skills in children. Future research is needed with robust and rigorous methodologies (e.g., adequate control groups, longitudinal designs) to fully establish the MacDonald triad’s validity. Finally, further consideration is needed as to whether the triad behaviors are more indicative of other problematic outcomes (e.g., maladaptive coping to life stressors)

An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending

This report presents results of research commissioned by the police to evaluate their use of polygraph testing with individuals convicted or suspected of committing a sexual offence. Police areas involved in this research were: Greater Manchester (GMP), Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, South Yorkshire, and Northumbria. Additional areas (i.e., Lancashire, Norfolk, and Staffordshire) supplied data on polygraph tests conducted for them. The University of Kent was commissioned to evaluate police use of polygraph testing from 3rd July, 2017 to 15th July, 2019. The evaluation described in this report refers to analyses of: • Strand 1 (Supervisees): 557 individuals convicted of sexual offending and undergoing police supervision who were randomly assigned to polygraph testing (voluntary or mandatory1 depending on police area) or comparison groups. • Strand 2 (Suspects): 142 individuals suspected of committing online sexual offences and undergoing police investigation who were assigned to polygraph or comparison groups. • Strand 3 (Applicants): 104 individuals convicted of sexual offending who applied for removal of notification requirements and were assigned to polygraph or comparison groups

A descriptive model of the offence process for animal abusers: evidence from a community sample

Animal abuse perpetrated by adults is prevalent, yet largely undetected and understudied. As a result, clinicians have a limited evidence base to draw from when working with animal abusers. The primary aim of this study was to develop the first descriptive model of the offence process for animal abusers using a community sample. Participants were recruited via Prolific Academic – an online crowdsourcing platform that enables cost-effective recruitment of diverse participant pools from the UK. We identified 198 animal abusers in our survey and administered a series of open-ended qualitative items asking participants to describe the circumstances leading up, during, and after the offence. Employing Strauss and Corbin’s (1990) [Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.] grounded theory analysis, we coded the qualitative responses and developed the offence process model. The model detailed the cognitive, behavioral, affective, and contextual factors across the timespan of the animal abuse behavior (i.e. background, pre-offence, offence, and post-offence). This descriptive model of the offence process for animal abusers highlights key targets throughout the timespan that can inform prevention and intervention strategies moving forward