3.4.6 Institutional Aggression : Prisons

• Dispositional Explanation = highlights the importance of someone's personality; importation model
• Research into Importation Model: DeLisi (2011)

  • Studied group of juvenile delinquents with negative backgrounds (childhood trauma, histories of substance abuse etc)
  • Compared to control group, JD were more likely to engage in physical aggression & sexual misconduct
  • People with negative characteristics are more likely to be aggressive in a prison environment
• Situational Explanation = the idea that behaviour is influenced by the environment in which it occurs
• Frustration-Agression hypothesis, Social Learning Theory and Deindividuation can explain the deprivation model
• Research into Deprivation Model

  • Steiner (2009)
  • Investigate prison level factors linked to outcomes
  • Higher proportion of female staff, overcrowding and inmates in protective custody leads to a higher proportion of inmate-inmate aggression
  • Prison-level factors are independent of individual characteristics
• Deprivation Model: Research Support

  • McCorckle et al (1995) = Factors such as overcrowding, lack of privacy and meaningful activity increased inmate assaults to both inmates and staff
  • Franklin et al (2006) = crowded prison conditions increased aggressive behaviour in younger inmates more so than any other age group; interactionist
• Importation Model: Research Support

  • Mears et al (2013) = 'code of the street' belief affected inmate violence especially in those who lacked family support and where involved with gangs prior
  • Regoli (1983) = best indicator of violence among juveniles was pre-instituational violence regardless of situational factors
  • Franklin et al (2006) = crowded prison conditions increased aggressive behaviour in younger inmates more so than any other age group; interactionist