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The present study intends to analyze if there are differences in scores of aggressiveness and violence between three groups of pre-trial detainees with different times of detention. Our analysis regarding the levels of aggressiveness and risk of violence showed a tendency for both measures to be higher in groups detained for less time, even when criminal variables are controlled. Our findings highlight the higher propensity for remanded prisoners to be violent and display aggressive behavior during the first period of confinement, which emphasizes the need to improve the mechanisms of adaptation to that environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the high prevalence and severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among men with mental health (MH) problems and substance use (SU), there is limited evidence on the most effective ways to reduce IPV within these groups. Hence, the present systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions for male IPV perpetrators with MH issues and SU problems. Five databases (B-On, Pubmed PsycInfo, Science Direct, and Scopus) were searched for studies examining the effectiveness of IPV interventions. Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, with 13 interventions described. Interventions were grouped into (1) specific interventions for SU among IPV perpetrators (k = 8), (2) nonspecific interventions for SU among IPV perpetrators (K = 3), and (3) specific interventions targeting MH among IPV perpetrators (k = 2). Cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing techniques were the most common approaches. Both specific and nonspecific programs addressing SU problems showed some positive effects on perpetrators' behavior and attitudes. However, data from the two intervention programs focusing on MH showed reduced symptoms and re-assaults but without significant differences between the conditions. Despite methodological shortcomings in the studies, the specific and nonspecific interventions targeting SU and IPV show promise, which hinders drawing firmer conclusions. Nonetheless, further research is necessary to deepen our understanding of the MH impact interventions on IPV perpetrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that individuals who commit crimes often exhibit various early maladaptive schemas (EMSs). EMSs are a broad and pervasive theme or pattern consisting of memories, emotions, cognitions, and bodily sensations concerning oneself and one's relationships with others. Furthermore, EMSs play a crucial role in the onset and maintenance of different types of offending behaviors, highlighting the need to implement schema therapy (ST) for perpetrators. Therefore, the present systematic review assesses the effectiveness of ST for individuals who committed crimes. Four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Scielo) were searched for studies examining the effectiveness of ST for individuals who committed crimes. Seventeen studies were identified, but only 15 met the criteria for inclusion. Results showed that ST can lead to beneficial effects in EMSs, schema modes, personality symptoms, and risk factors to commit crimes (e.g., cognitive distortions). However, the studies, besides being scarce, revealed some methodological limitations. ST is a promising therapy for individuals who committed crimes, despite the studies' methodological shortcomings, which prevent us from drawing more firm conclusions. Although promising, more research is needed to enhance our understanding of the impact of ST therapies in forensic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate assessment of pedophilic sexual interests is crucial for the treatment and management of individuals who have sexually offended children. This study aimed to validate the Revised Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interests (SSPI-2) in a Portuguese sample of 170 men convicted of sexual offenses against children, 104 serving sentences in the community, and 66 in prison. The findings indicated that SSPI-2 demonstrated good convergent validity, as evidenced by its significant and positive associations with the "sexual deviance" item of SVR-20, the number of previous convictions for sexual crimes against children, and having 3 or more child victims, which is associated with high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing men who show greater sexual arousal to children than to adults. Furthermore, the SSPI-2 exhibited good divergent validity, with no significant correlations observed with a self-report measure of psychopathy or with a nonsexual criminal history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dropout in perpetrator intervention programs (PIPs) is extensively documented in the literature, yet findings across various studies exhibit global inconsistency. This meta-analysis aimed to identify dropout rates among individuals attending PIPs and examine sociodemographic, violence-related, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and external variables related to dropout. A search was conducted across six databases, encompassing studies published between 2010 and 2022 in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Thirty manuscripts, comprising data from 31 independent samples, were included. Dropout rates varied from 9% to 67%. Bivariate analysis results indicated that younger age (OR = 0.69), non-White ethnicity (OR = 1.54), unemployment (OR = 1.78), offender typology other than family only (OR = 2.45), substance abuse (OR = 1.78), presenting a personality disorder (OR = 1.21), engaging in problematic leisure activities (OR = 1.28), possessing a greater criminal history (OR = 1.47), and experiencing more adversity in childhood (OR = 1.44) were significantly correlated with dropout. Additionally, the inclusion of motivational strategies in treatment (OR = 0.44) significantly decreased the likelihood of dropout. Results from multivariate analyses revealed that younger age (OR = 0.63), presenting a personality disorder (OR = 1.73), and experiencing more adversity in childhood (OR = 2.16) were significantly associated with dropout. Notably, intimate partner violence characteristics established a significant negative relation with dropout (OR = 0.59). Findings indicate that variables associated with dropout align with those related to general and intimate partner violence recidivism, suggesting that individuals requiring more intensive intervention are those who derive less benefit from it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global problem with severe consequences for victims and their development, with various resulting consequences. Sentences regarding CSA crimes can be unconsciously influenced by extralegal factors. This study aimed to understand how Portuguese CSA victims are represented in judges' sentencing of offenders. Twenty-seven sentences of CSA, from a Portuguese database, were thoroughly analyzed through thematic analysis. Six main themes pertaining to the victim, emerged from the sentences' analysis: (i) emotional response during statements; (ii) reported details and reactions; (iii) credibility and reliability of statements; (iv) revelation and secret-keeping; (v) victim's trajectory; and (vi) impact on the victim. The assessment of the credibility of the victim's statements proved to be central across all sentences. Data related to external sources, namely judges' personal beliefs, physical evidence, and witnesses, emerged. Legal and psychosocial factors were identified, with the latter consisting of victim-blaming and legitimization of sexual violence. As for the practical implications of these findings, we argue that a fair exercise of justice, and improvement of the efficacy of prosecution of CSA is only possible through identification of these sensitive issues and adequate addressal of them during magistrates' training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although different studies have found that exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) in childhood is linked to IPV perpetration in adulthood, others have revealed null effects. Previous research has also found that some factors might mediate the relationship between exposure to IPV in childhood and later IPV perpetration. As far as we know, no studies examined the role of aggression in this relationship. This study aimed to analyze the link between exposure to IPV in childhood and IPV perpetration in adulthood and verify whether this relationship was mediated by aggression and its components (verbal and physical aggression, anger, and hostility). Two hundred and forty five men convicted of domestic violence, from prison and community, were recruited. Correlation analysis revealed a positive link between exposure to IPV in childhood, aggression traits, and specifically physical aggression, and IPV frequency in adulthood. Overall aggression traits and physical aggression traits were statistically significant mediator variables explaining almost 15% of the overall effect of exposure to IPV in childhood on overall IPV frequency in adulthood. These findings unravel the role of aggression in the perpetration of physical and total IPV, claiming our attention to the need to include strategies to increase emotion regulation and problem-solving strategies in intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many reasons to perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV). This study analyzes the attributions and perceptions of Portuguese men who perpetrate IPV to understand their justifications for violence against their female partners. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven male perpetrators. Through thematic analysis, three main categories emerged: self, partner, and situational factors. Perpetrators identified self attributes as justifications to abuse, such as individual characteristics, emotional disturbances, and jealousy; partner attributes, such as partners' characteristics and the use of violence against them; and situational factors, such as alcohol abuse and relational stressors. Perpetrators' narratives evidenced a tendency to conceive violence as an unintentional and unplanned action, attributing violence to uncontrollable factors, and an attitude of non-accountability for their behaviors/actions. A deeper understanding of perpetrators' perceptions and attributions for IPV will help to develop more effective intervention programs with offenders or to improve the existent ones, for example, in terms of dropout prevention, to reduce violence against women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batterer intervention programs (BIPs) are some of the most relevant strategies to reduce intimate partner violence (IPV). However, the rate of dropout is significantly high, which may impact the effectiveness of such strategies. Literature has identified several factors associated with BIPs' dropout; nonetheless findings remain inconsistent. Thus, the aims of this study were to analyse the differences between perpetrators who completed the program and those who droped out, in terms of sociodemographic, violence-related and intrapersonal variables, as well as identify the predictors of dropout. Eighty-three IPV perpetrators completed a set of measures that assessed attitudes toward domestic violence, physical and psychological abuse of a partner, aggression, coping skills, and readiness to change. Variables related to past criminal history and sociodemographics were also colletected. 42.2% of IPV perpetrators failed to complete the intervention program. The results revealed that age and previous convictions by other crimes than IPV discriminated perpetrators who completed the program from those who droped out, such that, being young and having a previous conviction predicted dropout. These findings reveal a need to further analyse the impact of these factors so BIPs can be tailored to meet the specificities of IPV perpetrators and prevent treatment dropout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Restorative justice emerges as a theoretical-practical approach to the criminal legal system, in which the reparation of damage of the victim is a central point. However, the growing empirical production referring to the effects of this approach on victims is sometimes shown to be weakened or dispersed, focusing mainly on their satisfaction. Objective: The present work intended to systematically evaluate the empirical production of the restorative justice field, to aggregate and examine information in the literature regarding the psychological impacts on victims who participated in restorative practices. Methods: A search was made using electronic databases to identify quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies, published between January 2000 and December 2020 that reported psychological impacts on real victims of crimes, who participated in mediations/conferences victim–offender. Results: 35 studies were identified as focusing on the psychological impacts on victims resulting from restorative practices. These studies have shown effects on post-traumatic symptomatology, on the emotions and emotional needs resulted from victimization, as well as on the victims' perceptions of their offenders. Conclusions: The present research showed that restorative justice practices have a positive psychological impact on victims, who are frequently forgotten in conventional justice, and that some of these impacts persist over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child sexual abuse is a public health problem of global magnitude with profound and negative consequences for the victims and society. Thus, psychological intervention with individuals who sexually offended against children is crucial for reducing recidivism. Numerous reviews and meta-analyses have shown the effectiveness of psychological interventions in individuals who sexually offended, but few reviews have been done on this subtype of offenders. This article reviews evaluation studies of intervention programs designed to treat individuals who sexually offended against children, providing a more detailed account of treatment procedures. Articles were identified from peer-reviewed databases, bibliographies, and experts. Following full-text review, 12 studies were selected for inclusion by meeting the following criteria: quantitative or qualitative research studies published in English from 2000 to 2020 with titles or abstracts that indicated a focus on treatment effectiveness, detailing the psychological treatment procedures on adult, male individuals convicted for child sexual abuse. Cognitive-behavioral therapy with a relapse prevention approach was the most frequent modality found in child sexual offending treatment. Besides, different criminogenic and non-criminogenic factors emerge as targets for intervention. Study design, study quality, and intervention procedures shortened the accumulation of evidence in treatment effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a highly prevalent phenomenon worldwide and is considered a severe violation of human rights. Intimate partner homicide (IPH) and attempted intimate partner homicide (AIPH) although less frequent have a severe direct or indirect impact on victims. Despite the vast literature on IPV and IPH, there is still scarce research on AIPH. Thus, this study aimed to analyze whether perpetrators of IPV, IPH, and AIPH differ from each other, as well as to identify the factors that predict violence in intimacy. For those purposes, we performed a comparative analysis between 50 male individuals convicted of IPH, 27 convicted of AIPH, and 168 convicted of IPV from Portugal. The data were collected using an interview and a set of psychological measures. Results revealed that, although IPV, IPH, and AIPH perpetrators' share some characteristics, significant differences were found between them. IPV perpetrators were more prone to perpetrate violent behaviors against an intimate partner or ex-partner than IPH or AIPH offenders. The use of weapons and separation from the victim increases the probability of committing IPH or AIPH. Being divorced, having no children, and committing other crimes than domestic violence are predictors of AIPH. These results have some practical implications, in terms of both risk prediction and risk management. Accurate and comprehensive tools should be included as a routine in the primary care services, as well as in the child care services and in victim support services. Prevention and intervention efforts must be comprehensive, involving work with perpetrators and victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the sentencing purposes for penal penalties, judges' perceptions of sentencing purposes and prison sentences, and the effects of penal sanctions. We examine judges' positions towards different penalties, with a focus on imprisonment, since their views on the different penalties are related to their sentencing decision-making. Understanding these views is then critical for several practical and political purposes, including bridging the gap between academic discourse and legal practice. We accessed judges' views on penal sanctions through a questionnaire and an interview. Our sample is compounded by the judges of the criminal courts from the three major cities in Portugal. Despite the most recent criminological empirical knowledge, judges valued imprisonment as the most adequate sentence, both for different crimes and for different judicial purposes. This result is not consistent with viewing imprisonment as a 'last resort' solution. Indeed, we did not find this 'last resort' position in our data, and it is not apparent in the judicial statistics on imprisonment rates. Our data highlight the importance of increasing judges' training on criminological and sociological issues as well as the importance of changing the influence of their personal beliefs regarding penal sanctions into research-based positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies about legal decision-making have been approached from a quantitative perspective and in the context of the Anglo-Saxon judicial tradition. Our study consists of a qualitative analysis of judges’ sentence pronouncements in Portuguese courts. Sentence pronouncements are the moment when the decision is made public and, therefore, judges have to select which elements must be highlighted to the defendant. This trial moment is not clearly defined by the law, which gives judges the opportunity to develop it as they consider appropriate. Our results show that judges mainly transmit legal explanations and judges’ viewpoints to offenders. The results also show that the structure and content of these oral presentations of sentencing show great variation among judges, panels of judges and situations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article focuses on the role of knowledge based on scientific research in developing citizens' awareness and involvement. By addressing a brief history of the consolidation of psychology of justice and some of its theoretical framework, specifically about the judicial decision-making, we intend to discuss the perniciousness of a distorted and disinvested (or wrongly invested) perspective of citizens towards justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive distortions (CDs) are a crucial element in the etiology of child sexual offending, with most of the intervention programs targeting them to reduce the risk of sexual recidivism in perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA). Researchers have developed the Hanson Sex Attitude Questionnaire (HSAQ) to assess CDs. With a total sample of 256 participants, the Portuguese version of the HSAQ revealed a two-factor structure. The HSAQ subscales demonstrated good to acceptable psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, as well as discriminant validity. One of the subscales also demonstrated convergent validity. Additionally, the two subscales exhibited differences between perpetrators of CSA with and without previous interventions, indicating known-groups validity. Overall, our findings partially support the use of the HSAQ in the forensic Portuguese population, underscoring its significance for clinical and research purposes. Nevertheless, particular caution is advised, especially regarding factor two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]