What is Violence?

1
(No Transcript)
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)
• Social factors (social class, social justice,
  peer influences, etc.)

4
(No Transcript)
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

• Vulnerability
• Cognitive deficits
• Poor coping skills
• Emotional insecurity
• Poor anger control

• Learning
• Culture
• Role Models

• Situation
• Weapons
• Intoxication
• Accomplices
• Lack of supervision

• Provocation
• Frustration
• Threats
• Opportunity

• 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 YouthResponse

• 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
Hares 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
Adult Juvenile
Glibness/Superficial charm Impression management
Grandiose sense of self worth Grandiose sense of self worth
Need for stimulation Stimulation seeking
Pathological lying Pathological lying
Conning/Manipulative Manipulation for personal gain
Lack of remorse or guilt Lack of remorse
Shallow affect Shallow affect
Callous/Lack of empathy Callous/Lack of empathy
Parasitic lifestyle Parasitic orientation
Poor behavioral controls Poor anger control
17
Juvenile Psychopathy
Adult Juvenile
Promiscuous sexual behavior Impersonal sexual behavior
Early behavioral problems Early behavior problems
Lack of realistic long-term goals Lacks goals
Impulsivity Impulsivity
Irresponsibility Irresponsibility
Failure to accept responsibility Failure to accept responsibility
Many short-term marital rel.s Unstable interpersonal relationships
Juvenile delinquency Serious criminal behavior
Revocation of conditional release Serious violations of conditional release
Criminal versatility Criminal versatility
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

1. Psychotic-like behaviors (drug-induced psychosis,
   quasi-delusional statements)
2. Unstable moods (anxiety, inability to be alone,
   anger, depression and suicidal behavior)
3. Self-damaging behavior (drug use, recklessness,
   wrist cutting, sexual promiscuity, shoplifting,
   eating disorders)
4. Unstable relationships (idealization and
   devaluation, splitting, manipulativeness)
5. 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
Case example How schools permit and even promote
bullying

• School newspaper
• Rest room monitoring
• Hallway teasing
• Classroom mischief
• Uneven enforcement
• Marching band initiation
• Gym class humiliation
• Group rivalry

23
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

24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
(No Transcript)
32
(No Transcript)
33

• September 2002, Age 19