Affective states influence judgment and decision-making among professionals conducting risk assessments, with negative affective increasing perceptions of risk. In criminal justice settings, offenders evoke fear among professionals and public, contributing to heightened perceived recidivism risk, particularly for groups such as those with mental illness. To examine the impact of fear on perceived risk, mental health professionals (n = 101) and students (n = 56) provided fear of victimization ratings and risk estimates for three mental health scenarios. Fear of victimization was significantly associated with increased risk estimates. Implications for risk communication and criminal justice attitudes are discussed.
Adolescent criminal behavior in India presents complex challenges shaped by developmental, familial, systemic, and institutional contexts. This study explored the challenges Indian therapists face in addressing adolescent criminal behavior and how they navigate them in practice. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted using in-depth interviews with five therapists, generating shared experiential themes while preserving individual meanings. IPA with five therapists produced 11 superordinate and 28 subordinate themes, organized into the five-layered Developmental - Systemic - Therapeutic Navigation (DSTN) Model: (1) Developmental - Familial Foundations, (2) Structural - Systemic Constraints and Enablers, (3) Interdisciplinary and Institutional Navigation, (4) Therapist-Level Emotional Labor and Coping, and (5) Transformational and Reform-Oriented Vision. Therapists acted as active navigators across fragmented systems under significant emotional and professional demands. Effective intervention for adolescent criminal behavior depends on therapists' navigation of developmental, familial, and systemic contexts, as captured by the DSTN Model, underscoring the need for coordinated, trauma-informed systems.
This study tested whether parental Dark Tetrad traits and Life History Strategies (LHS) predict perceived Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) and adult child estrangement. In 252 U.S. Prolific participants, a Fast Life History Strategy (FLHS) strongly predicted both PAS and estrangement. Psychopathy was associated with higher PAS and greater estrangement, while narcissism unexpectedly predicted lower levels. Age, female gender, and higher education were linked to reduced estrangement but minimally affected PAS. Findings support LHS as a framework for family dynamics and indicate that dark personality traits differentially relate to perceived parental alienation versus adult child estrangement. Implications for intervention are discussed.
The Self-injury Risk Assessment Protocol for Corrections (SIRAP-C) is a clinical, evidence-based self-directed violence (SDV) risk assessment tool for correctional settings. Although empirically evaluated, demographic variation in the SIRAP-C subscales has not been assessed. Using North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (NC DAC) data, age-, race-, and sex-based variations in SIRAP-C subscales were examined using correlations, one-way ANOVAs, and independent sample-t-tests. Meaningful race-based variations emerged for depressive symptom scores, while potentially meaningful race- and gender-based variations emerged for history of SDV. Meaningful age-based variations were not observed. Findings suggest that the SIRAP-C has practical utility across diverse groups.
This study examined challenges in building rapport with children during forensic interviews and the behaviors of reluctant alleged victims. A total of 124 practitioners involved in interviewing alleged child sexual abuse victims were surveyed. Across both intermediaries and legal professionals, rapport-building was frequently identified as a key challenge, particularly among police officers and prosecutors with limited training in interviewing children. Difficulties were especially pronounced in cases involving suspected familial abuse or custody disputes. Reported barriers included uncooperative accompanying adults, time constraints, and limited institutional support. The study also identifies practitioner-reported techniques that may facilitate rapport with vulnerable child witnesses.
This study examines the experiences and mental wellbeing of individuals enrolled in, or recently graduated from, a UK Forensic Psychology Practice Doctorate. An online survey collected quantitative (descriptive frequency analysis) and qualitative (thematic review) data from 13 participants at a UK university. Findings indicate that trainees are motivated by a commitment to the rehabilitation of individuals who have engaged in harmful behaviour. Wellbeing fluctuated in response to course demands and external stressors, with challenges including work-life balance, academic and placement pressures, financial strain, and burnout. Support from peers and supervisors was central. Findings highlight the importance of proactive supervisory support and safe environments to discuss wellbeing.
Forensic mental healthcare professionals work in high-stress environments marked by dual-role conflicts, patient aggression, and public scrutiny. We explored the relationship between forensic vigilance, workplace resilience, and burnout in 283 forensic mental health professionals. Regression analyses revealed a small association between resilience and forensic vigilance (effect size F2 .027). Forensic vigilance was also linked to personal accomplishment (effect size F2 .096). However, no significant relationships were found between resilience, vigilance, and burnout dimensions emotional exhaustion or depersonalization. These results suggest that while forensic vigilance and resilience may enhance professionals' sense of personal accomplishment, they do not directly reduce burnout symptoms.
To date, there has been no attempt to synthesize research into prisoner-to-prisoner aggression. The current paper identified 362 articles, with 59 entering the review. A thematic analysis produced six superordinate themes capturing individual/social risk markers, who were involved, attitudes, environmental factors, a role for fear, and staff involvement. Findings are integrated into a proposed model - the Diffusion Model for intraGroup Aggression among Prisoners [DM-GAP]. This presents an understanding as to the causes of intragroup aggression and how incidents can be formulated. Future research should build on the unique factors underpinning intragroup aggression, emphasizing more the role of the environment.
Persuasive strategies, a rhetorical means deployed in investigative interactions by investigating officers and suspects to influence each other's behaviour, have received moderate scholarly attention, especially in police-suspect interactions. Consequently, not much attention has been paid to the use of these strategies in interactions involving the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (Civil Defence) and Civil and suspects. Data were obtained from the Headquarters of the Oyo State Command of the Civil Defence. The data were bound using Gotti's principles of persuasion in discourse theory. The analysis demonstrates that IOs and suspects employ pathos and logos as rhetorical devices for persuasion.
In the context of acoustic forensics in Nigeria, only a few studies have been conducted. Available studies include Praat scripting for Yoruba vowels for voice-print identification. None of these studies examined audio authentication for admissible audio recordings in the Nigerian legal system. A text-to-audio script was developed to be used for the data elicitation on the one hand; and on the other hand, computer-generated, simulated audio was created from the altered audio files for authentication using container and content modes. The results show that audio files can be doctored, but such files can be authenticated for admissibility in court.
This study examined attitudes toward sexuality in offenders with and without intellectual disabilities (ID) in Dutch forensic mental health care using a cross-sectional study with forensic patients (52 with ID and 32 without ID), a survey for professionals (N = 135), and qualitative interviews with both patients (N = 12) and professionals (N = 23). There were no significant differences in sexual attitudes between forensic patients with and without ID. Attitudes in professionals were influenced by the severity of ID and, for general mental health professionals, by training on sexual health. Qualitative findings revealed that a trusting therapeutic relationship, practitioner, and organizational supports are crucial.
The Management of Aggression Programme (MAP) is currently being implemented to support the prevention and management of aggression in forensic units in Norway. The objective of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of the methods and outcome measures to inform a nationwide evaluation of MAP. This pilot study employed a longitudinal design combined with an interrupted time-series analysis. Four units from two institutions participated. Feasibility was evaluated in relation to process outcomes, management and resource requirements, and scientific results. The study design was deemed appropriate with some modifications suggested. Preliminary findings are presented and discussed.
