Aggression and Violent Behavior

The conceptualization of gangs: Changing the focus Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Daniel Wegerhoff, Louise Dixon, Tony Ward Abstract Discussions about the gang construct and appropriate definitions have been pervasive throughout gang research. This paper seeks to shed light on these discussions by adopting a theoretical perspective to examine the suitability of 'gangs' as a target of explanation and the appropriateness of current definitional approaches. First, we examine the validity and utility of the gang construct. It is concluded that the gang label has poor construct validity and limited explanatory utility, thereby making it unsuitable for theoretical purposes. Instead, we suggest that researchers need to focus on what gangs are at a foundational level, namely groups, and that the group should be the target of explanation. Second, we consider the limitations of gang definitions for theory construction and instead offer a method known as three-tier analysis to comprehensively conceptualize groups without discussions of necessary and sufficient definitional boundaries. Finally, we produce a framework based on these findings and demonstrate how it facilitates understanding of a specific gang exemplar. In doing so, we bypass several theoretical roadblocks obstructing gang research and advance a way to explain the group and (by extension) gangs, thus improving our understanding of groups and gangs with the purpose of ultimately informing practice and policy initiatives.

Tracking narrative change in the context of extremism and terrorism: Adapting the Innovative Moments Coding System Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Raquel da Silva, Pablo Fernández-Navarro, Miguel M. Gonçalves, Catarina Rosa, Joana Silva Abstract Existing models of deradicalisation, countering violent extremism (CVE), and counter-terrorism (CT) have lacked a clear theory of change, as well as robust empirical methodologies. This paper proposes an empirically-based systematic and transparent methodology – the Innovative Moments Coding System (IMCS) – which is empirically sensitive, ethically defensible, and can be of use in the context of research to inform practitioner contexts. Through a case study of former violent militants, we explore the adaptation and usage of this instrument to identify and track self-narrative change in the processes of engagement and disengagement, as well as radicalisation and deradicalisation in the context of violent extremism and terrorism. We illustrate how this methodology has the potential to bring benefits to the work of researchers involved in producing guidelines for disengagement, deradicalisation or risk-reduction interventions.

Moving beyond prison rape: Assessing sexual victimization among youth in custody Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Eileen M. Ahlin Abstract This integrated literature review discusses the need to treat youth in custody distinctly from adult carceral populations when examining sexual victimization. Although the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) mandates correctional facilities address sexual assault in both populations, the lack of available information on risk factors among youth may lead to practitioners and policy-makers becoming reliant on the adult literature when making decisions on preventative and reactive care for juveniles. Such extrapolation may lead to an inadequate or even inappropriate response for youth in custody. A research agenda using an ecological framework to determine youth-specific individual and structural level risk factors is proposed. Findings demonstrate differences in sexual victimization risk factors for adults in jails and prisons compared to youth in custody. This review serves as a foundation for moving research on this topic to juvenile custody settings while also acknowledging the challenges associated with conducting such research among youth in custody.

Neurobiological findings of the psychopathic personality in adults: One century of history Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Diana Moreira, Andreia Azeredo, Fernando Barbosa Abstract This review intends to produce a historical overview of the psychobiological bases of psychopathy from the first studies using biological or neuropsychological measures up to the present state of knowledge. The reviewed studies were retrieved from multiple databases, following the procedures of the Cochrane Collaboration. Of the 205 documents obtained, 49 were selected for further analysis and 31 were considered eligible for inclusion. Furthermore, eight studies were included through manual search. The objectives, sample (age, percentage of male, type of sample), country of origin of the studies, language, design, instruments, and results and main conclusions were extracted from each study. Overall, the results reinforce the idea that psychopathic traits are associated with abnormalities in the way the brain processes environmental emotional information, and that the fundamental cognitive properties related to attention maintain or worsen these abnormalities. In some cases, changes in attention explain, by themselves, the abnormalities in emotional processing. Future studies using neurophysiological paradigms would be a great asset to help differentiate, at a neurocognitive level, the personality structures characterized by pronounced antisocial behavior, in order to improve the understanding of their heterogeneous etiologies.

Measures for evaluating sex trafficking aftercare and support services: A systematic review and resource compilation Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Laurie M. Graham, Rebecca J. Macy, Amanda Eckhardt, Cynthia F. Rizo, Brooke L. Jordan Abstract Increasingly, organizations are providing services to promote the resilience and reintegration of persons trafficked for sexual exploitation. Unfortunately, services for survivors of trafficking have out-paced the evaluation of such services. However, formative studies exist on the needs and service outcomes of survivors of trafficking. We undertook a systematic summary of such studies with the aim of compiling the measures and constructs used in this literature. Of the 53 studies reviewed, 22 studies named 34 published measures used to collect data regarding survivors' coping; physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health; substance use; social support; trafficking-related needs, strengths, and outcomes; and trauma and abuse experiences. Additionally, to gather information on constructs of interest, 18 of the 22 studies included supplemental questions that were not part of a specific measure. Results show sex trafficking research is strongly focused on the physical and mental health needs and service outcomes of survivors. Few studies incorporate holistic views of well-being. Moreover, measures used with this population often have not been tested with survivors of trafficking. We recommend testing measures with this population, conducting holistic assessment of the needs and outcomes of survivors of sex trafficking, and developing tailored measures for various subgroups within this diverse population.

Predicting domestic violence: A meta-analysis on the predictive validity of risk assessment tools Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Claudia E. van der Put, Jeanne Gubbels, Mark Assink Abstract Risk assessment tools are increasingly being used to guide decisions about supervision and treatment of domestic violence perpetrators. However, earlier review studies showed that the predictive validity of most of these tools is limited, and is reflected in small average effect sizes. The present study aimed to meta-analytically examine the predictive validity of domestic violence risk assessment tools, and to identify tool characteristics that positively moderate the predictive validity. A literature search yielded 50 independent studies (N = 68,855) examining the predictive validity of 39 different tools, of which 205 effect sizes could be extracted. Overall, a significant discriminative accuracy was found (AUC = 0.647), indicating a moderate predictive accuracy. Tools specifically developed for assessing the risk of domestic violence performed as well as risk predictions based on victim ratings and tools designed for predicting general/violent criminal recidivism. Actuarial instruments (AUC = 0.657) outperformed Structured Clinical Judgment (SCJ) tools (AUC = 0.580) in predicting domestic violence. The onset of domestic violence (AUC = 0.744) could be better predicted than recurrence of domestic violence (AUC = 0.643), which is a promising finding for early detection and prevention of domestic violence. Suggestions for the improvement of risk assessment strategies are presented.

The role of media exposure on relational aggression: A meta-analysis Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Nicole Martins, Andrew Weaver Abstract We conducted a meta-analysis of 33 studies that examined the effects of media exposure on relationally aggressive behaviors and cognitions (a total of 66 effect sizes, N = (20,990). Across all types of aggressive content, there was a small positive effect (r = 0.15) on relational aggression. However, a comparison of effects sizes demonstrate that exposure to relational aggression had the strongest effect (r = 0.21), whereas exposure to non-specific media content had the weakest effect (r = 0.08). Exposure to physical aggression fell in the middle of the two content types (r = 0.15). Potential explanations for these effects as well as moderators that could influence the results are considered, and the practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Emotional victims and the impact on credibility: A systematic review Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Janne van Doorn, Nathalie N. Koster Abstract Previous research suggests that a victim's emotional expression plays an important role in credibility judgments. However, victims show different emotional responses to the consequences of a crime. Previous research has shown that the emotionality of a victim's demeanor affects the perceived credibility of the victim, also known as the emotional victim effect (EVE). The current systematic review aims to critically scrutinize the current literature on the influence of a victim's emotional demeanor on credibility ratings of that same victim. A comprehensive literature search was performed using search term combinations including victim-related terms, emotion-related terms, and credibility-related terms. A total of 25 studies, published between 1981 and 2017, and in which the emotional demeanor of the victim was manipulated, were included in the systematic review. By using a systematic approach, both in search for studies and in reporting results, the current review provides an overview under what circumstances the EVE is present. This is important because credibility is a key determinant for case advancement in the criminal justice system. A synthesis of the literature suggests that the effect of a victim's emotionality on credibility is dependent upon several factors and almost exclusively found in student samples.

Suicide by abdominal wounds suggesting seppuku: Case reports from Romania and an international literature review Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Claudia Judea-Pusta, Alexandru Rusu, Andreea Camarasan Abstract Seppuku is a traditional suicide method practiced by honorable Japanese samurai. Today this method of suicide is rarely used in Japan or worldwide and may be exceptionally encountered in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders, the majority of them being older men. It is well known that clinical and cultural factors also play a role in practicing this method of suicide. The mortality rate is significantly higher in cases of abdominal wounds suggesting seppuku, compared to the mortality rate caused by simple stab wounds. Death can occur immediately through massive external or/and internal hemorrhage as well as later on through complications, often septic. In the Romanian forensic literature files, suicide by abdominal stabbing suggesting seppuku is rarely encountered and documented. When investigating violent deaths owing to sharp force, the role of the forensic pathologist is not only to establish the cause of death and the mechanism used for creating the lesions, but also to identify the object used for inflicting the injuries, the type of the injuries, allowing thus to formulate a conclusion from legal perspective upon the act itself: suicide or homicide? The present paper reviews the international literature and presents three cases of suicide by self- inflected abdominal stab wounds suggesting seppuku, autopsied at the Bihor County Forensic Service, Romania, during 2013–2017.

Biosocial studies of antisocial behavior: A systematic review of interactions between peri/prenatal complications, psychophysiological parameters, and social risk factors Publication date: July–August 2019 Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 47 Author(s): Babette C.M. van Hazebroek, Hilde Wermink, Lieke van Domburgh, Jan W. de Keijser, Machteld Hoeve, Arne Popma Abstract In order to reduce antisocial behavior (ASB) and associated individual and societal problems, insight into determinants of ASB is warranted. Increasing efforts have been made to combine biological and social factors in explaining antisocial development. Two types of biological parameters have been studied vastly and provide the most compelling evidence for associations between biosocial interaction and ASB: peri/prenatal complications and psychophysiological parameters. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize empirical evidence on interactions between these biological measures and social risk factors in predicting ASB. In doing so, we aimed to (1) examine whether specific peri/prenatal and psychophysiological measures composite a vulnerability to social risk and increase risk for specific types of ASB, and (2) evaluate the application of divergent biosocial theoretical models. Based on a total of 50 studies (documented in 66 publications), associations between biological parameters and ASB were generally found to be stronger in the context of adverse social environments. In addition, associations between biosocial interaction and ASB were stronger for more severe and violent types of ASB. Further, in the context of social risk, under-arousal was associated with proactive aggression, while over-arousal was associated with reactive aggression. Empirical findings are discussed in terms of distinct biosocial theoretical perspectives that aim to explain ASB and important unresolved empirical issues are outlined.

Alexandros Sfakianakis
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alsfakia@gmail.com