Discuss explanations into Institutional Aggression (Social psychological explanations)

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AO1 Importation Model

One explanation of institutional aggression comes from Irwin and Cressey and the importation model. Irwin and Cressey claim that inmates who enter prison with particular characteristics e.g. values, attitudes and experiences, are more likely to engage in interpersonal violence than other inmates. According to this theory, interpersonal violence in prisons is not a product of the institution itself but rather of the characteristics of individuals who enter such institutions. Younger inmates are more likely to view violence as an appropriate response to conflicts. Research has shown that inmates who are from impoverished communities with higher rates of violence in those areas are more associated with interpersonal violence thus they are importing their cultural norms into the prison that condones violence t behaviour.

AO2

There is empirical evidence to support this model from Harer and Steffensmier who analysed data from 58 US prisons and found that black inmates displayed violent behaviour but lower rates of alcohol and drug conduct compared to white inmates. They concluded that these behaviours correlated with in US society generally thus supporting the claim that prisoners import traits in to the prison environment.

Further support comes from Keller and Wang who found that prison violence is more likely to occur in facilities that hold the most troublesome inmates. For example they found that prison holding maximum security inmates had higher levels of assaults on staff by inmates than prisons with lower security inmates.

AO2

A limitation of the model is that its claims that membership of a gang prior to confinement will result in increased violence with in the prison setting. However DeLisi et al found no evidence that gang membership prior to prison had any bearing on violence within prison. Therefore suggesting that the importation model cannot accurately predict inmates that would behave aggressively.

AO1 Deprivation Model 

Another explanation is the deprivation model. It claims that its the characteristics of the prison rather than the prison population that accounts for the violence. Proponents of this model do not deny the possibility that inmates enter prisons with certain cultural norms. They argue however that it is primarily the experience of imprisonment that causes inmates extreme stress and frustration and which in turn leads to violence or aggression against other inmates and staff. Harer and Steffensmier describe how inmate behaviour is a response to the problem of adjustment posed by the deprivations or ‘pains’ of imprisonment. According to Sykes these ‘pains’ include, loss of freedom, lack of heterosexual relationship, and isolation from the free community, boredom, discomfort and loneliness. As they experience these pains they engage in interpersonal violence as a reaction.

AO2

There is empirical evidence by Johnston (1991) supporting the deprivation model as an explanation for institutional aggressive behaviour. Johnston used prison records and accounts from prisoners to conclude that there is a strong correlation between the deprivation of resources and the level of aggression in prisons. The findings support the theory suggestion of that a deprivation of resources will lead to aggression and thus the findings act as supporting empirical evidence and increase the internal validity of the deprivation model as an explanation into institutional aggression.

Further support from McCorkle et al who found that overcrowding, lack of privacy and the lack of meaningful activity all significantly influence peer violence.

AO2 

However research in this area is not consistent for example, Nijman et al found that increased personal space failed to decrease the level of violent incidents among patients.

IDA 

The importation model considers both the underlying personality of the individual within an institution as well as their pre institutional environment factoring these other factors in account unlike the deprivation model that only considers the environment an individual finds themselves in in and therefore the deprivation model doesn’t take into account other factors. However arguably both models do not take into account neural and hormonal factors in which could have an affect on aggression within prisons for example the biological explanation would argue that maybe the prisoners have too much testosterone or in fact possess the MAOA gene in which has been argued to be a cause of aggression.

IDA

Another criticism of both the models is that most of the research is conducted in male populated prisons, therefore the research should be cautiously generalised to women populated prisons as both the importation model and deprivation model may not be applicable to female populated prisons. The importation model and deprivation model may also be difficult to generalise to other institutions e.g. work places.