Attitudes to Violence and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation as Dynamic Risk Factors for Physical Aggression and Violence Risk Among Violent Offenders

Abstract

A key characteristic of successful offender rehabilitation programs is their ability to meet the criminogenic needs of their participants. The identification and assessment of these needs in the form of modifiable risk factors associated with criminal violence is therefore an important part of correctional research. Although many such risk factors have been identified, two emerging constructs which have received preliminary evidence are attitudes to violence and difficulties in emotion regulation. However, there remains much scope to assess the role of these constructs in diverse violence-related outcomes. This study investigated the characteristics, and predictive value of these emerging risk factors in both self-reported physical aggression and clinician-rated violence risk. This study used archival data of 275 incarcerated Australian adult males who have completed a violence prevention program in South Australian correctional facilities. Data included pre and post measures of attitudes to violence, difficulties in emotion regulation, physical aggression, and violence risk. Results show that attitudes to violence and difficulties in emotion regulation were predictors of physical aggression, but an interaction effect between them was not supported. Attitudes to violence, but not difficulties in emotion regulation, predicted violence risk. Pro-social within-treatment change was observed for each variable, and changes in each risk factor predicted changes in physical aggression and violence risk. Findings demonstrate the value of further research on attitudes to violence and difficulties in emotion regulation as dynamic risk factors for physical aggression and violence risk among violent offenders, and largely support their inclusion in violence prevention programs.