CONTACT US: Contact info
|
Citation |
Sousa M, GonÇalves RA, Cruz AR, de Castro Rodrigues A. Int. J. Law Psychiatry 2019; 66: e101490. |
|
Affiliation |
CIPsi (Center of Research in Psychology), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Faculty of Law, University Lusíada North (Porto), Rua Dr. Lopo de Carvalho, 4369-006 Porto, Portugal. |
|
Copyright |
(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing) |
|
DOI |
|
PMID |
31706411 |
|
Abstract |
Prison officers are the agents that have the most contact with prisoners during imprisonment and are essential for control prisoners at risk. Because of that, it is essential to understand their attitudes towards prisoners who self-harm because their attitudes predispose the behavior in situations of self-harm. Thus, our study aimed to explore the attitudes of prison officers regarding prisoners who self-harm. The results revealed that prison officers did not advocate harsh treatment for self-harming prisoners. However, they tend to reveal some difficulties in understanding the causes of self-harm, reproducing the negative myths referred to in the literature. They also tend to neglect the fact that these behaviors may, in some cases, culminate in suicide. These results highlight the need for specific training about this phenomenon, not only in prison officers initial training but also in continuing training, identifying issues of particular importance to address, such as interpersonal skills and behavioral strategies to deal with incarcerated individuals who self-harm. We also advocate for the importance of reinforcing prison officers' role as first-line responders, empowering these agents in their social responsibility towards prisoners well being and the way penal justice is implemented. Language: en |
|
Keywords |
Prison officers' attitudes; Prisoners; Self-harm; Self-injury; Suicide |