Offending Behaviour Research Articles

Hospital employees’ perceived racism, ethnically offensive behavior, and patient violence

Abstract Background Hospitals are sensitive environments with complex interactions between employees and patients. Israeli society is ethnically diverse, and Israeli hospitals reflect this diversity and may create opportunities for rapprochement between different ethnic groups or might raise conflicts between them. In radical situations, such encounters might lead to violence. The phenomenon of physical or verbal violence towards caregivers and hospital employees exists. However, the uniqueness of this study is in examining whether the origin of the violence stems from racist reactions and how offensive behavior on an ethnic background could develop into actual violence. Methods Data were collected through an online close-ended survey among 370 hospital employees. 83% were Jewish, 68% were female, and 38 years old on average, with a mean hospital tenure of 6.5 years. The survey explored respondents’ perceived racism toward them, their exposure to offensive patient behavior based on ethnicity, and their exposure to general violence. Data were analyzed by SPSS 28. Results Preliminary results suggest positive correlations between study variables (r=.42-.52, p< .001). Regression analysis revealed that perceived racism contributed to general violence (β=.43, p< .001; R²=.19). Next, ethnic-based offensive behavior was added to the model (β=.36, p< .001). The analysis shows that general violence can be explained by these variables [F(2, 359)= 70.42, p< .001; R²=.28]. The R² of the general model increased significantly by 9.6%. The weight of perceived racism dropped yet is still significant (β=.24, p< .001). These results indicate that patients’ ethnic-based offensive behavior partially mediates the relationship between employees’ perceived racism and general violence. Conclusions The results suggest that employees who suffer from racism experience patients’ offensive behaviors based on ethnicity, which finally results in higher exposure to general violence in the workplace. Key messages • Understanding the phenomenon of violence in hospitals and examining the relationship between it and racism may amend policy and improve the quality of care and working conditions in the health sector. • The hospital environment involves diverse groups of society. Hence, the awareness of offensive behavior on an ethnic background is a condition to reduce racism and violence proactively.

Hospital policies as a tool to reduce gaps between ethnic groups of employees and patients

Abstract Background As diverse organizations, hospitals require an inclusive culture that respects and promotes ethnic diversity. Violence, a threat to this diversity, hampers effective organizational functioning. Our study delves into the positive influence of cultural diversity policies and communication about violence on the perception of the hospital’s atmosphere regarding ethnic differences among health employees. It enhances hospital labor relations and mitigates the risk of workplace violence. Methods 372 hospital employees with an average tenure of 6.5 and an average age of 38 filled out an online close-ended questionnaire (83% are Israeli Jews, 68% are female). 91% report working closely with people from different ethnic origins. Respondents ranked the atmosphere in the hospital regarding ethnic differences between employees and patients, the hospital’s cultural diversity policy, and organizational communication about violence. Data were analyzed by SPSS 28. Results Positive correlations were found between variables. A positive atmosphere was significantly related to the hospital’s cultural diversity policy (r=.14, p=.002) and to organizational communication about violence (r=.22, p< .001). However, the regression analysis (with control variables age, sex, and managerial role) revealed that despite employees acknowledging the hospital’s efforts to address diversity and violence, these factors only predict 10% of the variance of the hospital atmosphere [F(5, 366) = 8.346, p < .001; R²=.10]. Conclusions The hospital should increase actions that will improve the ethnic atmosphere in the hospital. Understanding how the encounter, where employees and patients from diverse ethnic backgrounds interact, influences the hospital’s atmosphere is crucial. These interactions can lead to tensions and offensive behaviors toward employees if not managed well. Hospitals can create an inclusive and harmonious work environment by addressing these tensions. Key messages • A cultural diversity policy and communication are necessary to maintain harmonious working relationships. It is essential, particularly in health organizations characterized by ethnic diversity. • Reducing the perception of ethnic differences may increase well-being and decrease violence. While hospitals often don’t prioritize these issues, this study forefront their influence and importance.

The profile and aberrant driving behavior of juvenile traffic law violators in Greece

Abstract The majority of juvenile offenses in Greece are related to road traffic violations. Juveniles in Crete region are required to attend an educational program offered by LaHeRS lab (HMU), in collaboration with the Prosecutor’s Office as part of reformative measures. The current presentation reports on the profile and aberrant driving behavior of juvenile offenders who attended the program between 2023-2024. The Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) was administered to 181 juvenile offenders. Participants were males (97.8), with a mean age 18.6 (SD = 1.2), resided in rural settings (51.8%) and secondary students 60.7%. The mean age of the first offence was 15.8 (SD = 1.1, min 13 - max 18). Participants scored low in all DBQ scales (covered violations mean=6.1, sd = 7.5; unintentional violations mean=0.9, sd = 1.6; lapses mean=8.9, sd = 10.5). No statistically significant difference was found in DBQ scores between those who had and did not have a driver’s license, as well as between those from urban or rural areas. The three DBQ subscales significant correlated (p < .001). Among other risky behaviors, 54.9% reported exceeding the legal speed limit, 66.3% reported aggression feelings when driving behind a slow vehicle, 34.5% used mobile phones while driving, 17.7% reported alcohol use while driving. Surprisingly, 85.5% stated high confidence addressing risks on the roads. Key messages • Early interventions on aberrant driving behavior among adolescents is crucial. • Educational programs should be tailored to address the unique needs of juvenile traffic law violators.

Are Personality Traits Predictors of Police Misconduct?

AbstractSeveral forms of police misconduct exist, including the inappropriate use of a weapon, sexual misconduct, and racially offensive behaviors, and deserve more attention in the literature. More recent literature suggests that there may be personality predictors of misconduct. Specifically, aggression, having unstable relationships, a lack of empathy, thrill-seeking behavior, and poor impulse control, may contribute to officer misconduct. The current study examined a group of 642 first-year police officers through a series of mostly logistic regression analyses to determine if antisocial or borderline personality traits predict inappropriate use of a weapon, sexual misconduct, and racially offensive behavior using scales from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition (MMPI-2; the antisocial practices and the psychopathic deviance scales) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; the borderline and antisocial scales). Most of the hypotheses were not supported by the findings. Participants who had more antisocial traits, as assessed by MMPI-2, were less likely to be accused of racially offensive behavior. Officers who had more borderline characteristics, as assessed by the MMPI-2, were less likely to be accused of engagement in any misconduct, specifically sexual misconduct. However, participants who had more borderline traits, as assessed by the PAI, were more likely to engage in sexual misconduct, but less likely to engage in any misconduct overall. Demographic covariates also were found to be related to all three forms of misconduct.

Empowering Digital Civility with an NLP Approach for Detecting Twitter Cyberbullying through Boosted Ensembles

As the number of social networking sites grows, so do cyber dangers. Cyberbullying is harmful behaviour that uses technology to intimidate, harass or harm someone, often on social media platforms like Twitter. Machine learning is the optimal approach for cyberbullying detection on Twitter to process large amounts of data, identify patterns of offensive behaviour, and automate the detection process for corpus of tweets. To identify cyber threats using a trained model, the Boosted Ensemble (BE) technique is assessed with various machine learning algorithms such as Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Naive Bayes (NB), Decision Tree (DT), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Bidirectional LSTM (BILSTM), Recurrent Neural Network LSTM (RNN-LSTM), Multi-Modal Cyberbullying Detection (MMCD) and Random Forest (RF). These classifiers are trained on the vectorized data to classify the tweets to identify cyberbullying threats. The proposed framework can detect cyberbullying cases precisely on tweets. The significance of the work lies in detecting and mitigating cyber threats in real-time and it impacts in enhancing the safety and well-being of social media users by reducing instances of cyberbullying and other cyber threat. The comparative analysis is done using metrices like accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score and the comparison results shows that boosted ensemble technique outperforms other compared algorithms with its overall performance. The accuracy rate of CNN, LSTM, NB, DT, SVM, RF, BILSTM and BE (92.5%, 93.5%, 84.6%, 88%, 89.3%, 92%, 93.75% and 96%), precision rate of CNN, LSTM, NB, DT, SVM, RF, RNN-LSTM and BE (90.2%, 91.3%, 88%, 85%, 86%, 91.6%, 92.1% and 94%), recall rate of CNN, LSTM, NB, DT, SVM, RF, BILSTM and BE (89.8%, 90.7%, 90%, 82%, 88.67%, 89%, 91.04% and 93.7%) and F1 score of CNN, LSTM, NB, DT, SVM, RF, MMCD and BE (90.6%, 91.8%, 85%, 84.56% 87.2%, 90%, 84.6% and 94.89%).

On the edge of the image: Guiding the lenses to the individual service plan

This article seeks to unveil Brazilian Public Policies in the establishment of norms, which in practice act as mechanisms of violence and social exclusion, and are not welcoming to those who are socially marginalized. A qualitative analysis with documental bias revealed Education and Socioeducation actions through secondary source documents, namely, the Individual Service Plan (o Plano Individual de Atendimento − PIA). Four thematic markers were identified which deal with school, work, gender and family. The results revealed that the absence of a political-economic structure can generate family disorders which negatively impact school performance, concluding that the variables are related to the offending behavior of adolescents.

Strategic autonomy in Turkish foreign policy: Defense or offense?

Although the study of secondary state behavior has increasing scholarly attention, existing studies suffer from a serious defect: privileging defensive over offensive behaviors. This is mainly due to the problems of status-quo-bias and anarchy-centrism engulfing the discipline of International Relations. This leads scholars either to ignore offensive state behaviors or treat them as aberration. This could be corrected if the struggle for autonomy is taken as the primary motive behind state behaviors. Defensive and offensive state behaviors, then, can be given equal treatment. Defensive state behaviors aim to maintain whereas offensive state behaviors seek to expand autonomy. Secondary states may display risky offensive behaviors to expand their autonomy. I shall examine this argument against the empirical evidence provided by Turkish foreign policy after 2016. I argue that the policy of strategic autonomy determines Turkish foreign policy and in the context of this policy Turkey follows a leash-slipping strategy to expand its autonomy.

Partners in crime: Integrating forensic psychotherapy into criminological discourse

This article advocates for the integration of forensic psychotherapy into criminology to deepen our understanding of criminal behaviour, particularly serious youth violence. Despite historical interest in psychoanalytic explanations for criminal behaviour, the exploration of unconscious motivations has been marginalised. Our article emphasises the need to consider both inner psyche and external social factors by drawing on contemporary theorising in the field of psychosocial criminology and forensic psychotherapy. By presenting the case study of Rob, a young person with a history of violence, we highlight the role of forensic psychotherapy in better understanding the motivations behind an individual's violent behaviour. By adopting a case study approach, we highlight the limitations of solely attributing offending behaviour to structural inequalities. This article therefore calls for a broader consideration of forensic psychotherapeutic modalities in criminological thinking to offer more comprehensive explanations for serious youth violence. This shift towards a more holistic understanding holds promise for more effective prevention and rehabilitation strategies in the field of youth justice.

Football Defensive Actions Development in Small-Sided and Conditioned Games With Offensive Goals

With the use of small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs), non-linear pedagogy (NLP), which is based on the ecological dynamics approach, has arisen with the aim of fostering a holistic perspective and optimizing players’ tactical offensive and defensive behavior’s. Given the potential injury and health risks associated with insufficiently structured training, such as overtraining or inadequate tactical preparation, the implementation of evidence-based approaches like NLP is crucial. In this study, the indirect impacts of an NLP-based intervention program (task design based on tactical attack principles and assaulting team’s numerical advantage) were examined in decision-making (DM) and execution (Ex) in U14 football defense technical-tactical actions. Twelve training sessions, split over two phases—preintervention and intervention—involved eighteen players (aged U14). 600 defensive actions measured during competitive matches were examined using the Game Performance Evaluation Tool (GPET) tool. The results revealed significant gains in marking (to the player with the ball: DM, p = 0.001; Ex, p = 0.001; and to the player without the ball: DM, p = 0.039; Ex, p = 0.046), blocking (DM, p = 0.015), and help- coverage (Ex, p = 0.014) actions. The interception and tackle actions did not differ noticeably. According to the results of this study, the NLP approach provides a suitable theoretical framework for fostering the development of defensive tactical behavior in football. Not all acts, though, saw improvements. In order to build technical-tactical training processes based on the phases of the football game (offensive and defensive) and taking the level of opposition into consideration, trainers should design representative tasks.

Location, location, location! An application of situational action theory to phone use while driving in different environments

Situational action theory (SAT) is a comprehensive theory that explains offending behaviour from the context of the interaction between interpersonal factors, such as morals, self-control, and habits, with situational factors, such as environmental risk and social conditions. Illegal hand-held mobile phone use while driving (MPUWD), a prevalent and risky road behaviour, has yet to be examined under the SAT framework. Therefore, by utilising SAT, this exploratory study sought to investigate the interpersonal and situational factors preceding hand-held MPUWD in three distinct road environments (highways, built-up areas and stopped-at-traffic lights). To achieve this, Queensland drivers aged over 18 who owned a mobile phone (N = 821, Mage = 41.7 years, SD = 20.9 years) were invited to complete an online survey. Repeated measures ANOVAs demonstrated significant mean differences for participants’ perceived risks associated with MPUWD and subsequent likelihood of offending across the three environments, with traffic lights being more conducive to MPUWD behaviours. Three hierarchical multiple linear regressions also revealed that age, attitude, risk of judgement, and self-control were significant predictors of MPUWD across all environments, while the results for gender, risk of injury and risk of being apprehended varied across the different driving contexts. Together, these factors explained 38.5–39.6 % of the variance in the perceived likelihood of illegally engaging in MPUWD. Overall, the findings indicated that the application of SAT has predictive utility in determining MPUWD engagement and can provide a more comprehensive framework for approaching and intervening in MPUWD behaviour.

The impact of violent behavior on co-offender selection: Evidence of behavioral homophily

PurposeResearch into adolescent co-offending has predominantly focused on individual differences in co-offender selection, with less attention to diversity in offending behavior. Research suggests that offenders with a violent history may be less desirable as co-offenders, potentially leading to homophily based on offending behavior. This study aims to examine homophily based on violent offending behavior among co-offenders. MethodsWe applied social network analysis to a Belgian co-offending network (N = 33,815) using police data and introduced a measure of individual violence level based on offense types. We hypothesized that suspects tend to co-offend with suspects who share a similar violence level, and examined the relationship between network structure and the suspects' violence level. ResultsThe results demonstrate a significant degree of homophily based on violence, with a more pronounced effect among non-violent suspects. This effect was consistent across different age groups. ConclusionsOur findings reveal behavioral homophily in violent offending behavior and highlight the importance of including older suspects to fully understand network dynamics. Intervention strategies should consider the broader criminal social environment to prevent the escalation of violence. Future research should employ dynamic network analyses to better understand the influence of violent behavior in co-offending networks over time.

Accessing child sexual abuse material: Pathways to offending and online behaviour

Accessing child sexual abuse material: Pathways to offending and online behaviour

Mental wellbeing, but not prison climate, mediates the association between autistic traits and treatment readiness among men with sexual convictions

ABSTRACT Research suggests that autistic individuals have qualitatively unique experiences of prison social environments, and that these experiences may have implications for autistic prisoners’ mental wellbeing and engagement with offending behaviour interventions. However, this has yet to be quantitatively tested. Using a sample of 177 adult prisoners from two UK prisons that exclusively house individuals with sexual convictions, this study tested a hypothesised double-mediation model, to investigate associations between autistic traits and prisoners’ readiness to engage with treatment, and whether this was mediated by experiences of the prison social climate and mental wellbeing. Results indicated that prisoners with higher levels of autistic traits had poorer experiences of prison social climates, which, in turn, predicted higher levels of anxiety and depression, which subsequently predicted reduced level readiness to engage with offending behaviour interventions. Implications for research and practice are discussed, emphasising the need for increased autism-related awareness and support provisions in prisons. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT The present study is a novel quantitative study, which is the first to statistically demonstrate that neurodivergence can significantly influence prisoners’ perceptions of prison social climates, mental wellbeing, and ultimately readiness to engage with rehabilitate interventions. As such, these findings emphasise the importance of embedding understanding neurodiversity in prison staff training, as well as considering and accommodating neurodiversity as a key dimension in the development of a prison’s rehabilitative culture.

Cultural Responsiveness in Academic Physical Therapy: An Administrative Case Report.

This paper describes how the administrative leadership of 1 physical therapy department curated, implemented, and evaluated a culturally responsive administrative support strategy to foster a positive working environment. Participants' perceptions of culturally responsive practices were explored using climate survey data. This case occurred in the physical therapy and rehabilitation science department at an academic medical center in the United States. The department administers 5 educational programs, 3 faculty practices, a community clinic, and a robust research enterprise and employs over 100 employees. After a historic sociocultural event, administrators implemented a series of actions to understand the needs of department employees and to respond in a culturally responsive manner. Interventions included supportive activities, educational opportunities, and community-building events. The department administered an annual climate survey to assess the employees' perceptions of the working climate, perceived impacts of the culturally responsive interventions, and suggestions for improving department climate. Survey analysis included frequency statistics and thematic content analysis with sensitizing concepts from a culturally responsive practice framework previously applied in primary and secondary school settings. A total of 131 employees participated in the annual climate survey from 2020 to 2022. Employees' confidence to identify and address microaggressions in working environments showed trends of overall improvement, and overall self-reported experiences with racial discrimination decreased. Participants reported positive trends in addressing discrimination among colleagues but also reported addressing offensive behaviors perpetrated by patients. Findings suggest that culturally responsive interventions are associated with positive trends in employee climate. Interventions tailored to the audience and curated to deepen cultural knowledge, enhance self-awareness, and validate others fostered a shared commitment to cultural equity. Administrative leaders have a role in fostering an inclusive climate by capitalizing on culturally significant teachable moments with sound culturally responsive strategy, bidirectional culturally sensitive communication, individual development, and collective action.

Implicit Biases and Racial Microaggressions: Examining the Impact on Black Social Work Students’ Well-Being

ABSTRACT This paper explores the concept of racial microaggressions, everyday slights and offensive behaviors experienced by people of color, particularly focusing on their manifestation within social work education programs. Black social work students, in particular, frequently encounter instances tied to stereotypes about their intellectual abilities, perpetuating historical prejudices and contributing to mental health challenges such as anxiety and impostor phenomenon (IP). The historical trauma endured by Black individuals adds a distinct layer to the struggles faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in social work education. Despite the evident impact, there exists a significant gap in scholarship addressing these issues, emphasizing the urgent need for the social work profession to confront and comprehend how implicit biases and racial microaggressions impede the success of Black social work students. This theoretical exploration aims to spark vital dialogue on the manifestations of implicit biases and racial microaggressions, probing their link to feelings of IP and historical trauma. Central to this inquiry is the examination of the critical consciousness framework’s efficacy in social work education, uncovering its role in raising awareness among professionals regarding their inadvertent perpetuation of oppressive systems. By leveraging this framework, the paper seeks to unearth structures of oppression and privilege, promoting awareness of unintentional complicity in upholding these structures. Recommendations align with the critical consciousness framework, advocating for future dialogues and the implementation of effective microaggression scales to incorporate and analyze frequencies and the impact of racism in social work research.

Survey on Psychosocial Conditions of Official Veterinarians in Germany: Comparison with Other Professions and Differences between Age Groups, Gender, and Workplace Characteristics.

Even though the mental health of veterinarians has raised concerns, little is known about the wellbeing of official veterinarians ensuring animal welfare, food safety, and control of infectious diseases and performing other tasks for veterinary public health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the psychosocial conditions of official German veterinarians and to compare them with those of other employees. An online survey was conducted including 82 items of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III) and additional questions on workplace and demographics. The answers of 838 respondents were analyzed, representing 26% of the target population. The average values for the dimensions Quantitative Demands, Emotional Demands, and Burnout Symptoms were substantially higher than those for German employees in other professions. Official veterinarians mainly working in animal welfare frequently experienced physical violence (6.7%) or threats of violence (53%). However, the profession also provides advantages: official veterinarians reported higher average values concerning the dimensions Control over Working Time and Influence at Work than other employees. Most participants stated that they experienced their work as meaningful, and the Job Insecurity dimension was low. Official veterinarians frequently experience offensive behavior and high-level demands. Therefore, measures to support and protect official veterinarians are needed. The positive aspects of this job should be emphasized to recruit and retain veterinarians in this field of the profession.

The effect of terror attacks on crime

PurposePrevious research has shown that terror attacks affect a variety of outcomes. However, one outcome that has remained relatively neglected is crime. In the current study we examine the immediate effect of terrorism on crime, and discuss several behavioral mechanisms that might explain this effect.Design/methodology/approachWe use data from 190 Israeli localities over 12 years (1999–2011). Applying a fixed-effects Poisson regression model, we assess the effect of terror attacks on recorded crimes of three types – property, domestic violence, and fraud – on the days following the attack. We also examine whether the effect is conditioned on geographical proximity to the attack.FindingsWe find the occurrence of terror attacks has a significant and negative effect on recorded cases of the three crime types. This effect grows stronger as geographical proximity to the attack increases.Originality/valueOur results suggest that terrorism has an immediate negative effect on crime. This effect might be explained by changes in the behavior of police officers, offenders, and citizens.

Learning the rational choice perspective: A reinforcement learning approach to simulating offender behaviours in criminological agent-based models

Over the past 15 years, environmental criminologists have explored the application of agent-based models (ABMs) of crime events and various theoretical frameworks applied to understand them. Models have supported criminological theorising and, in some cases, been applied to make predictions about the impact of interventions devised to reduce crime. However, decision-making frameworks utilised in criminological ABMs have typically been implemented through traditional techniques such as condition-action rules. While these models have provided significant insights, they neglect a crucial component of theoretical accounts of offending, the notion that offenders are learning agents whose behavioural dynamics change over time and space. In response, this article presents an ABM of residential burglary in which offender agents utilise reinforcement learning (RL) to learn behaviours. This solution enables offender agents to learn from individual-level perceptions of the environment and, given these perceptions, develop behavioural responses that benefit themselves. The model includes conceptualisations of the Routine Activity Theory (RAT), Crime Pattern Theory (CPT) and a utility function, Target Attractiveness, which acts as a behavioural mould to nudge offender agents to learn behaviours in keeping with the Rational Choice Perspective (RCP). Trained behaviours are then tested by introducing crime prevention interventions into the model and examining the reactions of offender agents. In keeping with empirical studies of offending, experimental results demonstrate that offender agents utilising RL learn to offend at targets where rewards outweigh risks and effort, offend close to home, frequently victimise high-rewarding targets, and conversely learn to avoid offending in areas associated with high levels of risk and effort.

Learning the rational choice perspective: A reinforcement learning approach to simulating offender behaviours in criminological agent-based models

Learning the rational choice perspective: A reinforcement learning approach to simulating offender behaviours in criminological agent-based models

Tell Me What You Do, I’ll Tell You Who You Are: Predicting Offender-Victim Relationships in Sexual Homicide

ABSTRACT This study fills a gap in the existing literature by differentiating between sexual homicides committed by strangers and those by acquaintances. Utilizing data from the Sexual Homicide International Database, which encompasses 772 cases from France and Canada, the research focuses on using victimological and crime scene characteristics to predict the victim-offender relationship in sexual homicides. Employing a comprehensive methodological approach, the study uses bivariate analysis, sequential binary logistic regression, and an artificial neural network (ANN) model. These methods help in examining the correlations and predictive values of various factors in determining the nature of the victim-offender relationship. The findings highlight significant differences in the modus operandi of stranger and acquaintance offenders. Stranger offenders are more likely to exhibit violent, premeditated actions involving weapons, while acquaintance offenders tend to use verbal aggression, exploiting their existing relationship with the victim. Theoretically, results provide empirical insights into the dynamics of sexual homicides, expanding the understanding of offender behavior and crime scene analysis. Practically, it offers valuable guidance for law enforcement in criminal investigations and resource allocation.