Responding to Incidents of Sexual Victimization in Correctional Institutions: Correctional Officer Perspectives

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (15) ◽  
pp. 1651-1681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie L. Cook ◽  
Jodi Lane
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Correctional Officers ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Correctional Officer ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Correctional Institutions ◽  
Correctional Policy ◽  
And Training

This study examined beliefs among correctional officers about responding to inmate-on-inmate sexual assault in jails. It is unique in its focus as no other published study has examined this topic using these variables in this setting. The authors utilize survey methodology to measure correctional officer perceptions about responding to sexual assaults among inmates. Results indicate that support for responding to instances of sexual assault among inmates differs somewhat by type of response and size of jail facility examined. Multivariate results suggest that while perceptions of inmate credibility are usually relevant, demographic factors matter more for those who work in larger jails, while beliefs about rape myths are somewhat more relevant in smaller jails. Implications for correctional policy and training and avenues for continued research are discussed.

Examining Differences in Attitudes About Sexual Victimization Among a Sample of Jail Officers

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie L. Cook ◽  
Jodi Lane
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Correctional Officers ◽  
Correctional Officer ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Correctional Policy ◽  
Officer Attitudes ◽  
Female Officers

The current study examined attitudes about inmate-on-inmate sexual assault among a sample of correctional officers. The study uniquely surveyed a jail sample of correctional officers, a context that has been ignored in the research on correctional officer perceptions of sexual victimization. The study measured officer attitudes toward victim blaming, credibility of inmates who report sexual assault, definitions of sexual assault, and willingness to respond to assault incidents. Additionally, the study examined gender differences in attitudes toward victimization and attitudes toward varying types of inmates. Overall, correctional officers assigned varying levels of blame and credibility to inmates who report sexual assault. Male and female officers also had significantly different attitudes about victim blaming and credibility of inmates. In addition, the sample held diverse views of what constitutes sexual assault and their preferred responses to the issue of sexual victimization. Implications for correctional policy, training, and avenues for continued research are discussed.

scholarly journals PENINGKATAN KEMAMPUAN PETUGAS PEMASYARAKATAN DALAM MENANGULANGI PEREDARAN NARKOBA DI LEMBAGA PEMASYARAKATAN DAN RUMAH TAHANAN NEGARA (Development of Correctional Officer Competencies In Overcoming Drugs Trafficking At Correctional Institution And Detention Center)

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 395
Author(s):  
Nizar Apriansyah
Keyword(s):  
Correctional Officers ◽  
Correctional Officer ◽  
Correctional Institution ◽  
Correctional Institutions ◽  
Recruitment Process ◽  
Detention Center ◽  
Science Academy ◽  
The Government ◽  
And Training ◽  
Factual Data

Banyaknya permasalahan yang ada Lembaga Pemasyarakatan, menjadi sumber pemeberitaan media yangkerap kali mengimformasikan hal-hal yang negatif tentang lembaga pemasyarakatan dan rumah tahanansebagai sarang narkoba. Maka dari itu melalui penelitian ini akan berusaha untuk mendapatkan fakta faktualterkait dengan banyaknya kasus peredaran narkoba di Lembaga Pemasyarakatan dan Rumah TahananNegara. Dengan maksud untuk mencari tahu pola pendidikan yang dapat diterapkan untuk mendidik petugaspemasyarakatan, agar kedepan dapat diambil langkah-langka strategis di Kementerian Hukum dan HakAsasi Manusia untuk mengantisipasi hal – hal tersebut.Metode penelitian dengan mengunakan pendekatankualitatif dan pendekatan kuantitatif. Dari hasil pembahasan menyimpulkan bahwa Pemerintah sudahberusaha meningkatkan kemampuan petugas pemasyarakatan Lembaga Pemasyarakatan dan Rumah Negaradengan cara melakukan interaksi antar pimpinan dan bawahan yang memiliki arti supervisi dan tangungjawab serta kesempatan karier yang jelas. Juga kesejahteraan ekonomi. (seperti Remunerasi dan TunjanganPemasyarakatan dan lain-lain). Inilah salah satu bentuk apresiasi pemerintah dalam membina Petugas agardiharapkan kinerjanya lebih optimal dilapangan. Kemudian hambatan diantaranya; kurangnya tenaga teknispemasyarakaan terutama lulusan Akademi Ilmu Pemasyarakat dan kurangnya tenaga sipir dibandingkandengan jumlah penghuni serta sumber daya manusia tenaga pemasyarakatan yang masih minim karena sistemperekrutan yang tidak didasari oleh kebutuhan kualifikasi personil, keterbatasan sarana perasana pendukung. AbstractProblems in correctional institutions sometimes, become a bad highlight by media such as a drug haunt.This research tries to examine a factual data related to drugs trafficking in correctional institution anddetention centers. It attempts to find out a pattern of education and training that able to be implemented toeducate correctional officers, so that in the future, can be taken steps to anticipate it. It uses quantitative andqualitative approach. Based on discussion, can be concluded that government has already managed to improvecorrectional officers` abilities by doing interaction between leaders and staffs whose supervision meaning andresponsible, have a clear career and promote welfare. (remuneration and correctional allowances). This isone of the government`s appreciation (the Ministry of Law and Human Rights) in developing of them in orderto boost their performance more optimal. But ,some obstacles found in this research such as : the lack ofhuman resources both the alumni of correctional science academy (AKIP) and caretaker/wardens compared toconvicts and inmates because the recruitment process of officers did not base on personnel qualification, andlack of infrastructure and facilities.

The Complete Correctional Officer

1981 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Johnson ◽  
Shelley Price
Keyword(s):  
Human Service ◽  
Human Services ◽  
Correctional Officers ◽  
Correctional Officer ◽  
Service Work ◽  
And Training

The correctional officer role is examined in relation to the possibilities the role affords for the delivery of human services to inmates with problems and crises of adjustment. Correctional officers who expand their roles to include human service obligations contribute to the development of resilient prison environments—environments that accommodate the shifting needs and concerns of inmates, and support their coping efforts. Human service officers strive to be complete correctional officers, responsive to the challenges posed for them and their wards by the prison. These correctional officers need nurturance and support if they are to survive. This requires organizational backing in the form of policies that foster and reward human service work, and training that provides the requisite skills, perspective, and support.

Real men can't get raped: an examination of gendered rape myths and sexual assault among undergraduates

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina L. Reitz-Krueger ◽  
Sadie J. Mummert ◽  
Sara M. Troupe
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Relative Neglect ◽  
Male Rape Myths

Purpose While awareness of sexual assaults on college campuses has increased, the majority of efforts to address it are focused on female victims. The relative neglect of male victims may be due in part to problematic rape myths that suggest men cannot be sexually assaulted, especially by women. The purpose of this paper is to compare rates of different types of sexual assault between male and female undergraduates, and explore the relationship between acceptance of traditional rape myths focused on female victims, and rape myths surrounding male victims. Design/methodology/approach Students at a mid-sized university in Pennsylvania (n=526) answered an online questionnaire about their own experiences of sexual assault since coming to college, as well as their endorsement of male and female rape myths. Findings While women experienced more sexual assault overall, men were just as likely to have experienced rape (i.e. forced penetration) or attempted rape. Acceptance of male and female rape myths was significantly correlated and men were more likely than women to endorse both. Participants were also more likely to endorse female than male rape myths. Research limitations/implications By analyzing sexual assaults in terms of distinct behaviors instead of one composite score, the authors can get a more nuanced picture of how men and women experience assault. Practical implications Campus-based efforts to address sexual assault need to be aware that male students also experience assault and that myths surrounding men as victims may impede their ability to access services. Originality/value This paper contributes to our knowledge of a relatively understudied topic: undergraduate male victims of sexual assault.

Silent Survivors

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 596-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Heath ◽  
Shannon M. Lynch ◽  
April M. Fritch ◽  
Lyn N. McArthur ◽  
Shilo L. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Female Offenders ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
State Prison ◽  
Self Blame ◽  
Women's Narratives ◽  
Situational Characteristics

Prior research suggests that rape victims who do not disclose or report to the police give reasons including self-blame and fear of judgment; however, this research has not been conducted with incarcerated women. Female offenders are a unique population because they experience high rates of sexual assault prior to incarceration. This study recruited 74 women at a U.S. state prison, who experienced sexual assault prior to incarceration to explore the associations among rape myth acceptance (RMA), disclosure, and reporting of sexual assaults to the authorities. Participants were asked open-ended questions regarding why they chose to disclose their sexual assaults to others, to report to the police, or to remain silent. Narratives were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded for thematic content. Women’s narratives, particularly those of women who indicated that they remained silent, frequently included a variety of rape myths that involved blaming themselves for the rape, fearing not being believed, believing that familiar perpetrators cannot be rapists, and questioning whether the event was really a rape. Women often described such rape myth beliefs with greater frequency than discussing situational characteristics of the rape as reasons for nonreporting. Implications for these findings in clinical, research, and social justice contexts are discussed.

scholarly journals Sexually violent effervescence: Understanding sexual assault among youth

Sexualities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 406-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Tutenges ◽  
Sveinung Sandberg ◽  
Willy Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Altered State ◽  
Sexually Violent ◽  
Altered State Of Consciousness

Based on interviews with 104 young partygoers, this article examines sexual assaults that occur in the context of festive events. Focus is on how individuals describe their sexual victimization. Three experiential characteristics stand out in the victims’ accounts. First, the assaults are described as being characterized by an altered state of consciousness, primarily alcohol-related intoxication. Second, the assaults are described as involving a sense of losing control. Third, the assaults are described as antagonistic, with one side using force to achieve domination. Drawing on Durkheimian theory, the article introduces the sensitizing concept of ‘sexually violent effervescence’ to clarify how victims experience sexual assaults.

Analyzing Further Predictors of Correctional Officer Professional Orientations: The Role of Turnover Intentions

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1668-1693
Author(s):  
Frank Valentino Ferdik ◽  
Phillip Hills
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Correctional Officers ◽  
Correctional Officer ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
Maximum Security ◽  
Correctional Policy

Four professional orientations to which correctional officers can ascribe have been identified in extant literature, and they include the counseling roles, concern for corruption of authority, social distance, and punitive ideologies. Studies have generally found officer demographics and correctional working conditions to be significant predictors of these orientations. No study to date, however, has examined the predictive influence of officer voluntary resignation intentions. Linear regression equations using questionnaire data from a statewide population of maximum security correctional officers ( N = 649) were therefore estimated to explore whether officer desires to terminate their employment accounted for variance in their self-reported orientations. Stronger turnover intentions shared statistically significant associations with three orientations, including negatively predicting the counseling roles and positively predicting the punitive ideology. Implications for correctional policy are addressed.

Sexual Assault, Campus Resource Use, and Psychological Distress in Undergraduate Women

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051988468
Author(s):  
Amy C. Graham ◽  
R. Kevin Mallinson ◽  
Jenna R. Krall ◽  
Sandra L. Annan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Undergraduate Women

Undergraduate women are at high risk of experiencing sexual assault during their college years. Research has established a strong link between sexual victimization and psychological distress. Although the relationship between sexual victimization and distress has been established, little is known about how the use of university-affiliated sexual assault resources influences mental health outcomes for survivors. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to describe the characteristics of women who used campus survivor resources following a sexual assault during college, examine correlates of campus resource use, and examine correlates and predictors of mental health of women who have been sexually assaulted during college. An online anonymous survey was sent to undergraduate women at two public universities in a mid-Atlantic state. Participants were female, undergraduate students ( N = 362) who had been sexually assaulted during their time at college. Few women ( n = 98, 27.1%) used campus resources following a sexual assault. We found significant relationships between participants’ use of campus survivor resources and experiencing a sexual assault prior to entering college, experiencing more severe sexual assaults, acknowledging the assault as a rape, feeling more self-blame, and experiencing more psychological distress. Campus resource use was significantly associated with poorer mental health outcomes. The cross-sectional nature of this study limited our ability to explore the reason for this. Further research is needed to explore the role campus resources play in supporting survivors during the recovery process. Given the high rate of sexual assaults on college campuses and the known negative psychological impact of sexual assault, it is imperative that campuses offer resources that are effective in meeting the needs of survivors.

An Examination of Women’s Experiences with Reporting Sexual Victimization Behind Prison Walls

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (5) ◽  
pp. 559-580
Author(s):  
April Surrell ◽  
Ida M. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Women Inmates ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Correctional Institutions ◽  
Training And Education ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Fear Of Retaliation

Women inmates in a southern women’s minimum security facility were interviewed to explore their perceptions of and experiences with reporting sexual victimization in the context of the post-PREA era. The interviewees identified stigma and gossip, officer camaraderie, and fear of retaliation as the dominant barriers to reporting and investigating incidents of sexual assault. The article concludes with recommendations to improve sexual assault training and education in women’s correctional institutions.

Blaming Children: How Rape Myths Manifest in Defense Attorneys’ Questions to Children Testifying About Child Sexual Abuse

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110234
Author(s):  
Suzanne St. George ◽  
Emily Denne ◽  
Stacia N. Stolzenberg
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Sex Offenses ◽  
Defense Attorneys

Since rape myths were codified in 1980 ( Burt, 1980 ), scholars have shown that individuals who endorse rape myths perceive victims as less credible and more responsible for rape and perpetrators as less responsible. Studies also show that rape myths hinder successful adjudication of rape cases by influencing juries’ assessments of perpetrator guilt ( Dinos et al., 2015 ). While most of this research focuses on sexual assaults involving adult victims, some scholars have found that victims as young as 12 are blamed for rape. If rape myths influence the perceptions of sex offenses even when victims are children, then defense attorneys in child sexual abuse (CSA) cases may be motivated to highlight rape myth in CSA trials. In the current study, we conducted a content analysis of the cross-examinations of 122 children, aged 6 to 17, alleging CSA to determine if and how defense attorneys question children about rape myths. We looked for questions about force and resistance, motives to lie, victim precipitation, and character issues (e.g., habitual drug use). We found that defense attorneys commonly referenced rape myths in CSA trials. A total of 10% of all defense attorneys’ lines of questioning referenced a rape myth, and attorneys asked 77% of children at least one rape myth line of questioning. Whether or not attorneys asked about different myths and the content of these questions varied by children’s age. Our findings indicate that defense attorneys use rape myths strategically to undermine children’s credibility in CSA trials, but they adapt (adult) rape myths in ways that are plausible in the CSA context. Policies formed to prevent the prejudicial impact of rape myths at sexual assault trials involving adults (e.g., rape shield laws) may not adequately prevent their impact in CSA trials. Prosecutors, therefore, should address rape myths at CSA trials.

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