The Deprivation Model

• The deprivation model is a situational explanation of aggression.
• Clemmers' deprivation model places the causes of institutional aggression within the prison environment itself.
• Harsh prison conditions are stressful for inmates, who cope by resorting to aggressive and violent behaviour.
• Deprivation of material goods: increased competition amongst inmates for goods, which leads to aggression to help acquisition.
• Deprivation of heterosexual relationships: As prisons are single-sex, this leads to more frustration and thus aggression.
• A 2014 government report found an association between rates of murder, suicide and assault with overcrowding in British prisons. High temperatures and high noise levels worsen the effects of overcrowding, which leads to more aggressive behaviour.
• Irregular lock ups to control behaviour reduces stimulation, as it removes the opportunity for interesting activities and access to goods (such as TV time). This leads to inmates becoming more frustrated and therefore more aggressive.