Elizabeth Gilchrist

Sexual grooming of children: Review of literature and theoretical considerations

Abstract The current review aims to outline the existing understanding of sexual grooming. Issues of poor definition, the adoption of the term “grooming” and the prevalence of sexual grooming will be discussed. Consideration will be given to how prominent theories of child sexual abuse often neglect sexual grooming. This will be followed by a detailed account of the existing knowledge within the literature. Three types of sexual grooming were thus identified: self-grooming, grooming the environment and significant others and grooming the child. Based on these findings, a new definition of sexual grooming is suggested. Furthermore, the findings correspond well with current models of the sexual offence process. A more comprehensive understanding of sexual grooming is required to facilitate a preventative approach to child protection.

Afraid or Angry? Recalibrating the ‘fear’ of Crime

Studying the fear of crime is a research field that has grown enormously in the past two decades. Yet our empirical knowledge has grown at the expense of conceptual development. It is beginning to be suspected that ‘fear’ is a term encompassing a confusing variety of feelings, perspectives, risk-estimations, and which thus means different things to different people. It is additionally suggested that what we know empirically may well be largely an artefact of the fact that the questions that are put repeatedly to respondents seldom vary, and the ways that those questions are put, and the settings in which they are put seldom change. The research project which is in part reported here initially used one set of respondents to develop new questions relating to their general and specific feelings about criminal victimisation, before testing them on another, much larger sample. This latter exercise confirmed that being ‘angry’ about the threat of criminal victimisation is more frequently reported than being ‘afraid’ of it. Little is known of the meaning or range of meanings that respondents infer with the term ‘anger’, but further research — which is needed — might well show that anger about crime is as complicated a concept as fear of crime has transpired to be. In any event, research into anger should benefit from the lessons learnt from three decades of research into fear.

A Psychometric Typology of U.K. Domestic Violence Offenders

A number of studies have described subtypes of domestically violent men, and the heterogeneity of domestically violent men is well established. The aim of the current study was to investigate the distribution of subtypes using psychometric measures in convicted domestically violent offenders in England. Four subtypes of offenders were identified: low pathology, borderline, narcissistic, and antisocial. These subtypes were broadly comparable with the family-only, dysphoric/borderline, and generally violent/antisocial types proposed by Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart. The majority of the sample (60%) best fit the generally violent/antisocial profile. However, the reliance on psychometric measurement and lack of corroborative evidence from partners means that further research is necessary to test these findings.

Current Responses to Sexual Grooming: Implication for Prevention

This article aims to outline current responses to sexual grooming; specific attention will be given to new legislation introduced in England and Wales under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Following an outline of this new legislation, consideration will be given to its effectiveness, including practical difficulties that are likely to restrict its scope. Issues to be discussed include: poor definition and understanding of sexual grooming, scope of legislation in relation to non-Internet grooming, difficulties in identifying sexual grooming, and a failure of the new legislation to be truly preventative. The article concludes by supporting Richard Lawss suggestion that the most effective prevention of child sexual abuse would result from adopting a public health approach.

An examination of the impact of community‐based rehabilitation on the offending behaviour of male domestic violence offenders and the characteristics associated with recidivism

Purpose. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of completing a community-based rehabilitation programme on both the rate of domestic violence reoffending, and time to first post-treatment offence within an 11-month follow-up period. In addition, the pre-treatment psychological, demographic, and offending history characteristics of recidivists were examined. Methods. Prior to attending West Midlands Probation Areas Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programme (DVPP), 86 male offenders completed a battery of six psychometric tests. The tests were the Novaco Anger Scale, Inventory of Beliefs about Wife Beating, Abusive Behaviour Inventory, Interpersonal Dependency Inventory, Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale and Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding. Post-treatment reoffending was identified from police contact data. Results. Of the 86 offenders who started the DVPP, 21% were alleged to have reoffended within an 11-month post-treatment period. Completing the programme was not significantly associated with either alleged reoffending, or time to first alleged incident. The identified treatment effect size was small (w=0.20). It was found that higher interpersonal dependency and more frequent contact with the police in the 24 months prior to attending the programme for theft and violent domestic violence predicted post-treatment domestic violence offending. Conclusions. The results of this study indicate that the programme did not significantly reduce the rate of alleged reoffending among programme completers, or the time to first post-treatment offence reported to the police. However, the results suggest that those offenders who were alleged to have reoffended may represent a distinct offender subgroup. These results are discussed with reference to client treatment matching and the move towards nationally accredited rehabilitation programmes in the UK.

Anger control and alcohol use: Appropriate interventions for perpetrators of domestic violence?

Abstract This paper addresses the differences between cultural/feminist and psychological perspectives on domestic violence, with specific reference to the roles of anger and alcohol. Feminist perspectives assume patriarchal control to be at the root of domestic violence, and see anger and alcohol as excuses for abusive behaviour. Psychological approaches identify anger and alcohol as risk factors for violence in some subgroups of offenders. A risk–needs model is presented, in which a distinction is drawn between acute and stable dynamic risk factors. Both may be targets of intervention, but addressing stable dynamic risk factors is more likely to effect enduring change. A theoretical understanding is required to identify stable dynamic risk factors, and here we suggest an affective defence approach to anger-related domestic violence and a social problem solving approach to alcohol-related domestic violence. Further developments in risk assessment and treatment matching are recommended.

Implicit thinking about implicit theories in intimate partner violence

Abstract This paper reviews the literature pertaining to cognitive structures of intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders. Relevant theoretical propositions, attitudinal studies and clinical material are described, and implicit theories (ITs) which appear to be linked with IPV are identified and discussed. Ten potential ITs are identified: ‘violence is normal’, ‘women are dangerous’, ‘uncontrollability’, ‘need for control’, ‘women are objects’, ‘entitlement/respect’, ‘sex drive is uncontrollable’, ‘real man’, ‘grievance/revenge’, and ‘nature of harm’. The similarities across ITs of IPV offenders and those hypothesised for perpetrators of other offences are identified and discussed.

Comprehensive Evaluation: A Holistic Approach to Evaluating Domestic Violence Offender Programmes

This article argues that the focus on behavioural outcomes in evaluations of domestic violence offender programmes has been too narrow, and that a more holistic approach incorporating investigation of the psychological characteristics of offenders and treatment characteristics may be required to determine what works, for whom, and under what circumstances. To this end, one interpretation of a comprehensive evaluation framework is outlined. The article hypothesises the insights to be gained by assessing the contribution of several potential mediating variables of the treatment process in the evaluation of these programmes. These variables are the heterogeneity of treatment targets in the target population; motivation to change; programme integrity variables; and therapeutic factors. The article concludes that only by implementing theoretically informed, multifaceted evaluations will we move closer to understanding the process of successful rehabilitation.

Change in Treatment Has No Relationship with Subsequent Re-Offending in U.K. Domestic Violence Sample: A Preliminary Study

In this study, data is presented from a sample of 52 male domestic violence offenders who were court mandated to attend a profeminist psycho-educational rehabilitation program in the West Midlands. The extent of both statistically and clinically significant psychological change achieved across a variety of measures (pro-domestic-violence attitudes, anger, locus of control, interpersonal dependency) assessed pre- and post-treatment, and their association with post-treatment re-offending within an 11-month follow-up period is examined. The results indicate that program completers achieved limited significant psychological change. However, the level of psychological change achieved had no association with re-offending.

Predicting dropout of court-mandated treatment in a British sample of domestic violence offenders

Abstract Prior to starting a pro-feminist domestic violence rehabilitation programme, 120 British male domestic violence offenders completed psychometric and attitudinal measures that assessed pro-domestic violence attitudes, anger, locus of control, self-reported emotional and psychological abuse of a partner, interpersonal dependency and social desirability. Offenders who completed the programme were compared to those who dropped out on these measures and demographic variables. Just under one-third (32.5%) of offenders failed to complete the programme. Of those variables that discriminated between completers and dropouts (age, previous custodial sentences, age at first conviction, marital status, self-reported abuse, and diagnosis of depression), only age (being young), having previously received a custodial sentence and self-reported low levels of physical abuse of a partner predicted attrition. These results are discussed with reference to probation supervision.