Elizabeth Spruin

Criminal Narratives of Mentally Disordered Offenders: An Exploratory Study

The study explored the personal narratives of Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDOs) and the impact various mental disorders had on the structure of the offenders’ criminal narratives. Seventy adult male offenders who were sectioned under the United Kingdom’s Mental Health Act 2007 were recruited for the study. Participants were provided with a 36 item Criminal Narrative Role Questionnaire. Smallest Space Analysis found four criminal narrative themes (Victim, Revenger, Hero, Professional), which indicated clear distinctions in the narrative experience of MDOs. The major differences were found to be related to the vulnerability of the offender’s mental disorder.

Domestic abuse victims’ perceptions of abuse and support: a narrative study

The current study sought to investigate the developmental and social characteristics of a group of victimised women to develop understanding into the factors which put local women at risk for victimisation and enhance the local support services for these women. Twelve women from local support services were interviewed about their experiences of violence. The aim of these interviews was to identify patterns within these women’s narratives which can be explored and developed for future applications Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis which resulted in four themes: (1) childhood characteristics; (2) first sexual encounters; (3) quality of life; and (4) supporting services. The results provide an extraordinary opportunity to enhance the support services provided for vulnerable women and girls in the local community. These results have not only aided in advancing the current research but also developing current service-providers for this local population. More specifically, the results have indicated a number of characteristics which place women at risk of victimisation, more importantly, the results have demonstrated the importance of exploring other services that may be beneficial for the recovery of these woman. In essence, the woman taking part in this study highlighted areas which encourage future exploration for both researchers and service providers. Clearly, before definite conclusions can be drawn, more research evaluations need to be carried out to explore the characteristics that put women at risk of violence and the services which may aid in their recovery.

Sexual offender’s experiences of polygraph testing: a thematic study in three probation trusts*

ABSTRACT Post-conviction polygraph testing of sexual offenders is controversial and the use of the polygraph as a means of supporting supervision of sexual offenders has only recently been explored. This study quantitatively examined qualitatively offender managers’ and sexual offenders’ views on the mandatory use of the polygraph in a community-based supervision. Fifteen polygraphed offenders and their 10 offender managers (polygraph group), and 10 non-polygraphed offenders and their ten offender managers (comparison group) were asked about their experiences and perceptions of a mandatory polygraph use. Using thematic analysis, the results provided four main themes: (1) truth detection, (2) perceptions of behaviour change, (3) perceptions of polygraph as part of supervision, and (4) national implementation of polygraph testing. Results suggest several benefits to mandatory polygraph testing as a support for supervision, including offenders making more high-risk disclosures, motivating offender honesty, and aiding offenders’ compliance with licence conditions.

Examining the experiences of a short break scheme amongst adolescents with disabilities (service users) and their parents

Abstract Globally, families who care for a child or adolescent with disabilities have been found to experience high levels of maternal ill health, stress, depression and family breakdown. In extreme cases, children and adolescents may have to move away from their family to a permanent residential placement. A potentially more appropriate and cost-effective approach is the provision of family support services; predominantly these have taken the form of short break schemes, whereby temporary (respite) care is issued to provide short-term relief for the family (e.g. regular afternoon care). This research reported the impact of a short break scheme from the perspective of the service users and their parents by conducting interviews with adolescents with disabilities and quantitative questionnaires with the parents, following a summer short break scheme.

The benefits of therapy dogs on student well-being within a UK university

Therapy dogs provide emotional support for people through their calm demeanours, friendly attitudes, and sensitivity to human emotions Fine as cited in Jalongo, McDevitt [1]. They are trained for the purpose of delivering emotional support, and differ from typical family pets by their calming temperaments Jalongo, McDevitt [1]. These dogs have been found to have multiple benefits for human wellbeing through their calm and friendly nature. Due to their numerous benefits, more recently, therapy dogs have begun to be utilised in school settings Stevenson [2]; Sutton [3], where research has found that children with learning disabilities become more social and engaging in class when a therapy dog is present Stevenson [2]. Research has further indicated that therapy dogs can also benefit the academic performance of students. For instance, Sutton [3] found that using time with a therapy dog as a reward for improved academic achievement was a successful motivator in encouraging students to achieve higher.

The Emotional Experience of Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDO): An Exploratory Study Using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA)

ABSTRACT The study explored the emotions felt during a criminal offense within a Mentally Disordered Offender (MDO) population and the impact that specific mental disorders have on an offender’s emotional experience. Fifty-six MDOs were asked to complete a questionnaire that explored the emotions they felt during a specified offense. Using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA), results found two emotional regions within the population: Pleasure and Displeasure. Further analysis found that specific mental disorders have an impact on the emotional experience of offenders. Overall, the results highlighted that MDOs show differences in emotional functioning compared to offenders without mental disorders.

Exploring the belief systems of domestic abuse victims: an exploratory study

Research exploring domestic abuse victims has primarily focused on the shorter term avenues of support for victims and the risk factors which put women at risk of victimization. There is limited research exploring the belief systems of domestically abused women that need to be targeted to achieve longer term effects. The present study therefore explored the association between the beliefs of abused women and their experiences as victims. Twenty-one women with a history of domestic abuse were asked about their attitudes towards authority figures and perceived opportunities around the time of their abusive experience. Data were analyzed using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA). Four distinct belief themes (personal responsibility, antisocial attitudes, environmental factors, and negative police attitudes) were found in the analysis. The findings highlighted not only the importance of considering the long standing and personalized beliefs of abuse victims, but also demonstrates the need for support services to offer more personalized support to abuse victims to help change their belief systems. Although this research sets the groundwork in understanding the beliefs of domestic abuse victims, these results need to be built upon with future research examining the wider implications of targeting the belief systems of domestically abused women.