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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]

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]

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]