The impact of coping style, self-efficacy, emotional reaction and resilience on trauma related intrusive thoughts (2025)

Trauma World Assumptions and Coping Resources among Youthful Offenders Social Work Mental Health and Criminal Justice Implications

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the extant literature by examining the relationship of traumatic and stressful life experiences among youthful offenders aged 18-24 years old. The sample included 38 youthful offenders incarcerated in the New Jersey Department of Corrections in 2008. During in-person interviews, youthful offenders completed a survey that gathered information on cumulative trauma, world assumptions, and coping resources using the Stressful Life Experiences Screening Inventory-Long Form, World Assumption Scale, and Coping Resources Inventory. A series of OLS regression analyses revealed partial support for the study hypotheses that cumulative trauma is significantly and negatively associated to youthful offenders' basic world assumptions about the world having meaning. cumulative trauma was significantly and positively associated with spiritual coping resources among youthful offenders. These findings have important implications for developing and improving interdisciplinary and multi-level trauma assessment and intervention strategies with youthful offenders.

Realizing Resilience in Trauma Exposed Juvenile Offenders: A Promising New Intervention for Juvenile Justice and Prevention Professionals

Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 2014

Considerable evidence suggests that untreated childhood trauma is a contributing factor to delinquency and juvenile justice system involvement. This paper describes a promising new intervention for at-risk youth and juvenile offenders with traumatic histories grounded in a model commonly referred to as the three principles. This intervention attempts to draw out the inner mental health and resilience in trauma exposed young offenders and provide them with a new perspective on their past traumas that can prevent them from infecting the present. First, the origin, nature, and logic of the three principles are described. Next, the three principles intervention is described and compared to cognitive and other trauma interventions. Then, several guideposts followed by effective three principles practitioners are described. Finally, empirical evidence is presented in support of the efficacy of this intervention with at-risk youth, juvenile offenders and adults with traumatic histories.

Predictors of coping amongst male incarcerated offenders in a private maximum-security correctional centre

2019

This dissertation would not have been possible without the support of the following key people:  First and foremost, a sincere thank you to my supervisor, Dr Jacques Jordaan for his guidance and support throughout this study as well as his assistance with the statistical analysis. Thank you for the countless hours and energy you have spent in developing my potential. I am grateful for the opportunity to have benefited from your insight and academic understanding.  Prof Karel Esterhuyse for his willingness to act as my co-promoter. A special word of thank you in assisting with the statistical analysis.  s. Anneke Denobili for editing my dissertation and ensuring that no detail was overlooked. Your input was greatly appreciated.  A note of thanks to all the participants who made this research possible.  Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their love, support, understanding and encouragement throughout this study. iv Dedicated to my son, Dominic.

Coping style and psychological health among adolescent prisoners: a study of young and juvenile offenders

Journal of Adolescence, 2005

The current study explores the role of coping styles as a predictor of poor psychological health among adolescent offenders. It presents the first study to compare young and juvenile offenders. Two hundred and three male offenders took part: 108 young (18-21 years) and 95 juvenile (15-17 years) offenders. All completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and a revised version of the Coping Styles Questionnaire (CSQ-3). Young offenders reported using emotional, avoidant and detached coping styles more than juveniles. They also reported more overall psychological distress than juveniles, with a trend to report increased depression, anxiety and insomnia. For both young and juvenile offenders, emotional coping predicted increased psychological distress. This was consistent across different symptoms (i.e. somatic, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction and severe depression). For young offenders, rational coping predicted a decrease in overall distress and was found across all symptoms. For juveniles, although detached coping predicted a decrease in overall psychological distress, across symptoms it only predicted social dysfunction. Increased rational coping was also found to predict decreased depression for juveniles. The study highlights differences between young and juvenile offenders regarding coping styles and how this relates to psychological distress. It highlights the complexities of trying to understand the coping-health relationship in a prison setting and asks if such settings are increasing the potential for adolescents to overuse coping styles that may not be the most effective. r

Predictors of Maladaptive Coping in Incarcerated Women Who are Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Journal of Family Violence, 2013

Women's rates of incarceration have increased notably in the past two decades. Concurrently, research with female offenders has identified a high incidence of experiences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), a potential risk factor for negative psychosocial outcomes. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model examining associations among CSA, emotion regulation, posttraumatic stress, and coping in a sample of 224 incarcerated women. The relationships between CSA and difficulties with emotion regulation and posttraumatic stress were mediated by self-blame, and the relationship between self-blame and maladaptive coping was mediated by both difficulties with emotion regulation and posttraumatic stress. These findings have implications for identifying treatment needs of incarcerated women and suggest potential targets for intervention.

Repeat Criminal Victimization and Vulnerability for Coping Failure: A Prospective Examination of a Potential Risk Factor

Psychology, Crime & Law, 2003

Publisher: Rout ledge I nform a Lt d Regist ered in England and Wales Regist ered Num ber: 1072954 Regist ered office: Mort im er House, 37-41 Mort im er St reet , London W1T 3JH, UK

Young Offenders' Experiences of Traumatic Life Events: A Qualitative Investigation

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2009

This investigation aimed to look at how a group of young offenders attending an inner-city youth offending team experienced adverse and traumatic life events. A qualitative approach was used and semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight young offenders about their perceptions of difficult experiences and the effects of such events. The interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, Jarman, & Osborn, 1999). Analysis of the accounts yielded a number of themes. Young offenders experienced violence at home, in the community and in custody. Instability and transitions emerged as important themes in relation to school and home. Deprivation was experienced both in terms of poverty and the literal and emotional absence of parents. A variety of cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses to adverse/traumatic experiences were identified, including a blocking out of painful experience and aggression to self and others. There were barriers to seeking or making use of professional support. Custody appeared to offer an opportunity to reflect on and re-evaluate life trajectory. The study concluded that greater consideration of trauma when carrying out assessments would enable 'at risk' young offenders to be identified using clinical interviewing along side standardized measures to aid assessment of the complexity and uniqueness of the response to trauma.

Coping Strategies and Posttraumatic Growth in Prison

Recent qualitative studies have highlighted posttraumatic growth as a profound change in offenders' self-perception, relationship qualities, purposes, and meaning in life. We examined coping strategies as possible predictors of posttraumatic growth during incarceration in a sample of 365 prisoners. Coping strategies such as seeking emotional support, religious coping, and searching for meaning predicted posttraumatic growth in a positive way. Psychotherapy and chaplaincy were associated with higher levels of posttraumatic growth. Behavioral disengagement predicted posttraumatic growth in a negative way.

Perspective chapter: Resilience as a process in changing the criminal behavior of young offenders

IntechOpen eBooks, 2024

This chapter presents and analyzes the role of the resilience process in the resocialization and reintegration of young offenders sentenced to a custodial measure in the criminal justice system. The intervention programs based on assisted resilience should have professionals as tutors/mentors of resilience. In this chapter, we will present their specific role. In this context, the need for the training of resilience tutors is presented. This aspect involves focusing on the potentialities of this category of offenders, with the aim of strengthening the protective factors at the expense of the risk factors. Resilience tutors are specialists from educational and detention centers who work with young offenders during the custodial sentence: psychologists, social workers, and educators. In our opinion, they can significantly contribute to changing the criminal behavior of young offenders. So, the main aim of this chapter is to show in which way the resilience process and resilience mentors/tutors contribute to the resocialization and reintegration of young offenders involved in the criminal justice system.

Psychological Resilience Interventions to Reduce Recidivism in Young People: A Systematic Review

Adolescent Research Review

Diversion" schemes encouraging children and young people away from offending have successfully reduced the numbers of young people within the youth justice system. However, for those not successfully diverted, recidivism remains obstinately high. Many of those remaining in the youth justice system appear to have complex psychological needs. Research has also shown that many of this group have experienced a high number of adverse childhood experiences. Investigation into the potential consequences of these experiences suggests the potential disruption of normative adolescent psychological growth. Domains may include emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal development. This review assesses the effectiveness of individual interventions that had a psychological focus and succeeded in reducing recidivism. A systematic research review from 2000 to 2019 yielded 206 studies for youth offenders, and of these, 14 met the criteria for inclusion. Sample size varied greatly, from 30 to 3038. Research design, follow-up period and intervention content also varied greatly. Further, intervention success for recidivism ranged from almost total desistance to changes (increased time to re-offend) affecting only 50% of the intervention group. Psychological changes as a result of intervention included an increased sense of coherence, improved emotion recognition, more positive decision-making and reduced defiance. However, none of the studies conducted follow-up psychological assessments post-intervention. Although youth crime is a priority for policy makers, so far research has fallen short of fully examining how the development of psychological resilience via interventions may help reduce persistent offending.

Systemic Self-Regulation: A Framework for Trauma-Informed Services in Residential Juvenile Justice Programs

Journal of Family Violence, 2013

Most youth detained in juvenile justice facilities have extensive histories of exposure to psychological trauma. Traumatic stress plays a key role in their mental health and behavioral problems and needs, and in their safety and rehabilitation and the security and effectiveness of detention facilities. We provide an overview of the barriers to successful provision of mental health services for youths in juvenile justice facilities, including those involving youth, parents, and juvenile justice residential facility staff and administrators. Next, we discuss the relevance and potential utility of approaching mental health needs using posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more broadly posttraumatic dysregulation, as an organizing framework. Examples of how a posttraumatic dysregulation perspective can enhance juvenile justice residential facility milieus and services are presented, with an overview of traumatic stress intervention models that have shown promise, or potentially could be deployed, in developing and sustaining trauma-informed juvenile justice facilities.

Adapting to Prison Life: A Qualitative Examination of the Coping Process among Incarcerated Offenders

Justice Quarterly, 2015

Research on general strain theory has demonstrated the impact of strain on decisions to engage in crime and delinquency. However, people differ in their responses to strain and only some resort to crime or delinquency. There remain gaps in our knowledge of when, and under what conditions, individuals will react to strain with offending behavior. We rely on interviews with 40 incarcerated men to understand how they cope with specific prison strains, and why they make such coping choices. We find considerable variation in inmates' coping responses. They use a variety of coping strategies-behavioral, cognitive, and emotional-and only some of these strategies involve offending. Our findings indicate that responses to prison strain are partly a function of past experience with strains, including prior experimentation with coping techniques. Results highlight the unfolding nature of Lindsay Leban is a graduate student in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law at the University of Florida. She received her bachelor's degree in sociology from Florida Gulf Coast University. In 2012, she was selected for a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at UAB. She is the 2013 outstanding undergraduate student for the Southern Criminal Justice Association. Her research has been published in Justice Quarterly and Deviant Behavior. Stephanie M. Cardwell is a doctoral student in criminology at the University of Texas at Dallas. Her primary research interests include life-course/developmental criminology, juvenile delinquency, and quantitative and qualitative methods.

Impact of Coping on Mental Health of Convicted Prisoners

International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2015

Background and Objectives: The coping strategies account for significant variance in psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity among different prisoners despite being in the same environment. Since the coping strategies and the resources available to each person differ, sometimes dramatically, the effect of incarceration will therefore vary and there is no simple formula to predict outcomes. The aim of the present study was to explore the differences in coping strategies of convicts with and without psychiatric morbidity. Method: All the convicts (200) were divided into two groups i.e. those with and without psychiatric morbidity after initial screening for psychological distress by GHQ 12 followed by diagnostic evaluation using MINI and were subsequently compared regarding the differences in the coping strategies adopted by them using Coping Strategies Checklist. Results: Prisoners without psychiatric morbidity predominantly used denial (7.46±2.12) and externalization (3.63±...

Strengthening Individual Resilience Through Self-Reliance Building Programs on Prisons

Edukasi

Individual resilience is an important ability that must be possessed by assisted residents to respond adaptively to the difficulties they experience while in prison and when leaving prison. The purpose of this study is to explore how the individual resilience of the assisted residents is strengthened through an independence coaching program carried out at the Tasikmalaya City Class IIB Prison. This research uses a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. The sample determination technique is carried out using purpossive sampling techniques. Data collection techniques are carried out through field observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation studies. The results showed that strengthening individual resilience through self-reliance development programs implemented in prisons has an impact on the stronger level of trust, spirituality, internal control and external control. Meanwhile, in the context of self-efficacy and self-esteem, it has not been seen as prominent in s...

Resilience to reoffending : mechanisms supporting young men to overcome adversity

2014

This study investigated the mechanisms supporting young men’s resilience to reoffending. Resilience was defined as “the outcome from negotiations between individuals and their environments for the resources to define themselves as healthy amidst conditions collectively viewed as adverse” (Ungar, 2004a, p.32). The philosophical approach was critical realist (Bhaskar, 1978) and the methodology used was narrative enquiry, employing content analysis (Lieblich et al., 1998) to elicit mechanisms from the data. Eight young men with previous involvement in the criminal justice system were recruited from organisations in Hastings, East Sussex. They participated in a narrative interview which explored their life stories and the mechanisms utilised to change their offending trajectory. The study used Hart and Blincow’s Resilient Therapy (RT) Framework (2007), to categorise the data. Mechanisms within the framework, located within categories such as Basics, Belonging, Learning, Core Self and Co...

Coping Strategies: Investigating How Male Prisoners Manage the Threat of Victimization in Federal Prisons

Researchers have established that prisons are violent spaces where prisoners use aggressive or passive strategies to manage the threat of victimization. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews, this study explores the coping strategies of 56 former Canadian federal prisoners. Most respondents used passive, aggressive, or passive/aggressive coping strategies. Differences emerged among respondents who used individual strategies (self-dependence) or alliance strategies (dependence on affiliates) to cope with prison living. Only alliance strategies appeared simultaneously passive and aggressive. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Resilience as a predicator of mental health of incarcerated women

Psychiatria Polska, 2017

Introduction. Serving a prison sentence is an experience that bears the hallmarks of a trauma. Scientific findings on how people handle traumatic experiences show that there are numerous personal and social resources that allow for better adaptation. One of the concepts used to describe the process reflecting relatively good adaptation is psychological resilience. Aim. The aim of the following research was to analyze the way in which psychological resilience differentiates mental states of incarcerated women and to identify the predicator of mental well-being in this group. Material and method. The study included women incarcerated in the External Department of Czersk Penitentiary for juvenile female offenders who serve a prison sentence for the first time and penitentiary recidivists. The following scales were used in the research: the Resilience Measurement Scale-RMS-25 and the HADS-M scale, which allows to conduct a test for symptoms of depression. Results. The results revealed crucial statistical correlations between the results of the resilience scale and results of the HADS-M. It was also found that the predicators of anxiety and depression in the study group are the level of personal coping skills and tolerance of negative emotions (RMS-25). Additionally, a crucial factor in predicting the state of anxiety

Self-Efficacy, Emotional Regulation and Perception of Life Among Prisoners

2017

The Indian Prison System which houses both the under trials and convicts offers a complex range of experiences to its inmates. While there are dark aspects to prisons, but there also lies positive aspects and teachings which has a role in giving better lives and personal growth through the activities. Prior studies have documented that prisons are emotionally fraught places where successful adaptation depends on the prisoners' abilities to calibrate their emotional expressions and deal effectively with the challenges. Also efficacy beliefs influences whether people think pessimistically or optimistically. Therefore, the present study aims to understand the effect of socio demographic variables and self efficacy on the emotional regulation and perception of life. For the purpose, total of 48 participants comprising both male and female were selected from Sabarmati Central Jail, Ahmadabad using purposive sampling. Assessment tools used includes: The General Self-Efficacy Scale, Li...

Resilience and mental health among juveniles: role of strategies for coping with stress

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Background Mental health is an important aspect of the process of individual adaptation and development. The present study analysed the role played by resilience in mental health while taking into account both positive and negative indicators among juveniles. The aim of the first study (Study 1) is to analyse the relationship between resilience and the broadly understood mental health of juveniles admitted to youth education centres. Study 2 aimed to understand the direct and indirect role of resilience in shaping the mental health of juveniles. In the model we tested, we looked at the relationship among resilience, coping strategies, and mental well-being. Methods The first study involved 201 juveniles, and the second involved 253 juveniles. Resilience was measured by the Resilience Scale-14. Coping strategies were measured with the Brief-COPE Questionnaire, and information on mental health was obtained using the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale...

Resilience to reoffending: Practice considerations for psychological therapies supporting young men to overcome adversity

Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 2020

Within the United Kingdom, 75% of young men aged 18-25 will reoffend within two years of being released from prison, yet we still do not know enough about how underlying protective mechanisms contribute to positive outcomes for those who have engaged in antisocial behaviour. This study explored the mechanisms that support young men's resilience to reoffending. The aim was to inform the approach of practitioners working with this population, in particular counselling psychologists, and to contribute to youth justice policy. Additionally, young people who are involved in crime are often discussed in the literature on youth offending and mental health, yet rarely given the chance to tell their story of changing their trajectory. Eight young men, aged 18-25, with previous involvement in the criminal justice system were interviewed using narrative enquiry with an emphasis on the subjective experiences that nurtured their resilient pathways. The study drew on Hart, Blincow and Thomas' Resilience Framework (Hart, Blincow, & Thomas, 2007) to categorise the data. The young men's accounts highlighted that mechanisms within all the categories of the Resilience Therapy (Hart, Blincow & Thomas, 2007) framework were pertinent in nurturing resilient pathways: Basics, Belonging, Learning, Coping and Core Self. The study further demonstrated how the young men's contexts were significant in fostering their resilience to reoffending. The findings suggest the importance of a counselling and psychotherapy approach that targets both social and individual mechanisms to facilitate growth. In a context with significant social, economic and political challenges, the absence of a two-pronged approach will limit the young men's resilience to surviving.