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This study aimed to investigate how members of the UK public would feel about introducing facility dogs to UK courts as a form of special measure. The results from an online survey showed that participants (n = 270) thought they would be significantly less likely to feel anxious, intimidated, distressed, frightened, and traumatized, and significantly more likely to feel safe if accompanied by a facility dog. Both dog owners and non-dog owners were overwhelmingly supportive of the incorporation of facility dogs into the justice system, and thematic analysis of their qualitative responses revealed four main themes: calming, comforting, testimony improvement, and the dog as a distraction. The only concern participants showed was whether the dogs would influence jurors' perceptions of the witness and, therefore, potentially the defendant. Overall, the study demonstrates overwhelming support for this innovative service in UK courtrooms, although further research on the effect on jurors is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of animals to support individuals' well-being has been documented across a variety of disciplines. It has been over a decade since dogs have also started to be used within the criminal justice setting in America to support vulnerable people, but this practice is not common in the United Kingdom. Globally, empirical evidence to support the benefits of utilizing dogs within the criminal justice system is lacking. The present interdisciplinary study aimed to explore one aspect of the criminal justice journey, the impact a therapy dog can have on UK court users waiting to give evidence at a magistrate's court. One hundred and seventeen court users and eight court staff were interviewed to explore their perceptions of a therapy dog service offered at a local magistrate's court. Using thematic analysis, three main themes were discovered: (1) context of the court environment, (2) effect of the therapy dog on well-being, and (3) issues relating to therapy dogs in court waiting areas. Results suggest that therapy dogs have a number of benefits to court users. Long-term, the human–canine interaction positively translates into the court waiting room environment, and so it should be further explored, evaluated, and then appropriately implemented in the UK's legal system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Female fire-setters are reported to commit nearly one-third of deliberately set fires, yet there are limited studies examining the characteristics that distinguish them from suitable comparison groups. The aim of this study is to compare incarcerated female fire-setters with incarcerated male fire-setters and female offender controls on psychopathological and psychological features that could be targeted via therapeutic interventions. Method: We recruited 65 female fire-setters, 128 male fire-setters, and 63 female offenders from the prison estate. Participants completed a battery of validated tools assessing psychiatric traits and psychological characteristics (i.e., inappropriate fire interest, emotion/self-regulation, social competence, self-concept, offense-supportive attitudes, and boredom proneness) highlighted in the existing literature. Results: Major depression and an internal locus of control distinguished female fire-setters from male fire-setters. Alcohol dependence, serious/problematic fire interest, and more effective anger regulation distinguished female fire-setters from the female offender control group. Conclusions: This is the first study to examine differences between female fire-setters, male fire-setters, and female control offenders on both psychopathological features and psychological traits. These findings highlight the gender-specific and offense-specific needs of female fire-setters that clinicians need to consider when implementing programs that ensure client responsivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Using social dominance theory, the primary aim of this study was to examine the attitudes and beliefs that reinforce status hierarchies and facilitate aggressive behaviour within and between gangs. The aim was also to determine whether these socio-cognitive processes distinguished gang-involved youth from non-gang offenders in a custodial setting. Methods Gang-involved youth and non-gang offenders were recruited from a young offender institution located in the United Kingdom. Questionnaires assessing psychological (i.e., moral disengagement strategies, anti-authority attitudes, hypermasculinity, and social dominance orientation) and behavioural (i.e., group crime) characteristics were administered individually. We hypothesized that gang-involved youth would be affiliated with groups who engaged in more criminal activity than non-gang offenders, and that they would report higher levels of endorsements than non-gang youth across all of the psychological measures. Results We found that gang-involved youth were affiliated with groups who engage in more crimes than non-gang offenders. We also found that social dominance orientation was an important factor related to gang involvement along with measures assessing group-based hierarchies such as hypermasculinity, anti-authority attitudes, and the moral disengagement strategies displacement of responsibility, dehumanization, and euphemistic labeling. Conclusions These findings fit within a social dominance theoretical framework as they highlight key psychological factors that feed into perceived status-driven hierarchies that distinguish gang members from other types of offenders. These factors could be key to developments in treatment provision within custodial settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research to date has been equivocal on the relationship between firesetting and psychopathology and has been impeded by studies lacking adequate control samples. The present study examined psychopathology in a sample of incarcerated adult male firesetters (n= 112) and prison controls (n= 113) using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III. Firesetters demonstrated multiple elevated scores on personality and clinical syndrome scales. Logistic regression showed that the borderline personality scale was the strongest personality scale discriminator between firesetters and controls. Major depression and drug dependence were the strongest clinical syndrome scale predictors. However, both clinical syndrome scale predictors appeared to be mediated by borderline personality scores indicating that firesetters are best characterized by responding indicative of borderline personality traits rather than other psychopathological deficits. The results suggest that, relative to other offenders, firesetters face challenges with impulse control, affect regulation, stability of interpersonal relationships, and self-image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The number of measures available to practitioners to assess fire interest and other fire-related attitudes is limited. To help establish the utility of such measures, this study explored whether three fire measures contained multiple factors and whether such factors related to firesetting behaviour. Method The Fire Interest Rating Scale, the Fire Attitude Scale, and the Identification with Fire Questionnaire were administered to 234 male prisoners (117 firesetters, 117 non-firesetters) and results were factor analyzed. To determine the relationship of the resulting factors with firesetting behaviour, their ability to discriminate firesetters from controls was examined and compared to the original scales. Results Responses were best represented by five factors, four of which discriminated firesetters from non-firesetters. One factor demonstrated significant accuracy in discriminating single offence firesetters from repeat firesetters. Taken together the factors offered more clarity than using the original scale outcomes and showed equivalent predictive accuracy. Conclusions The five factors identified may aid practitioners in helping to formulate the specific treatment needs of identified firesetters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigated whether a group of firesetters ( n = 68) could be distinguished, psychologically, from a matched group of non-firesetting offenders ( n = 68). Method: Participants completed measures examining psychological variables relating to fire, emotional/self-regulation, social competency, self-concept, boredom proneness, and impression management. Official prison records were also examined to record offending history and other offense-related variables. A series of MANOVAs were conducted with conceptually related measures identified as the dependent variables. Follow-up discriminant function and clinical cut-off score analyses were also conducted to examine the best discriminating variables for firesetters. Results: Firesetters were clearly distinguishable, statistically, from non-firesetters on three groups of conceptually related measures relating to: fire, emotional/self-regulation, and self-concept. The most successful variables for the discrimination of firesetters determined via statistical and clinical significance testing were higher levels of anger-related cognition, interest in serious fires, and identification with fire and lower levels of perceived fire safety awareness, general self-esteem, and external locus of control. Conclusions: Firesetters appear to be a specialist group of offenders who hold unique psychological characteristics. Firesetters are likely to require specialist treatment to target these psychological needs as opposed to generic offending behavior programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the support that a facility dog can provide to survivors of sexual crimes when undergoing video-recorded police interviews. In total, 13 survivors of sexual offences, who were undergoing a video-recorded interview, were provided with a facility dog for the interview process. For each case, data were collected via interviews, observations and surveys. Using a multiple case study approach, qualitative data were analysed to identify patterns, with observational and survey data used to provide further support to these outcomes. A total of four main themes emerged from the data: (1) a change in focus for the survivor, (2) a difference in the survivors' engagement, (3) the dog as a comforter to keep the survivor calm and (4) a positive environment. Overall, the findings suggest that the facility dog provided a much needed and beneficial service to survivors, helping them feel calmer and more comfortable. The dog also provided survivors with a more positive environment, allowing them to focus on the interview and communicate more openly about their experiences. The current study, therefore, presents very positive findings relating to improving survivors' perspectives of justice within the framework of kaleidoscopic justice, bridging their perceived justice gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]