Methods of Modifying this Behaviour

Methods of Modifying this Behaviour

Methods of Modifying Criminal Behaviour

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

  • This explores the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, providing the offender with strategies to manage their thoughts and change behaviour.
  • CBT can help the individual to challenge irrational thought patterns and develop alternative, pro-social thought processes.
  • Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is a form of CBT often used to help manage anger, a common issue in offenders.

Therapeutic Communities

  • These are structured environments designed to reduce offending by improving individual’s social, psychological, and emotional well-being.
  • Therapeutic communities are often used in prisons and involve a democratically run, group-based approach to treatment.
  • Key principles include the promotion of self-help, responsibility, and positive interpersonal relationships.

Restorative Justice Programs

  • Restorative justice seeks to repair harms caused by crime, involving both offender and victim in a dialogue.
  • It focuses on making amends, taking responsibility and healing the harms caused by criminal behaviour.
  • This approach aims to reduce recidivism by improving offender empathy and accountability.

Behaviour Modification

  • Aims to change unhealthy or criminal behaviours through reinforcement strategies, either by implementing rewards (positive reinforcement) or removing undesirable factors (negative reinforcement).
  • It employs key principles of Operant Conditioning, such as punishment to decrease likelihood of negative behaviour.
  • Success can depend on consistency, timing, and the significance of the reward or punishment used.

Social Skills Training

  • These programs are designed to teach prosocial behaviours and skills to improve relations with others.
  • Techniques such as modelling, role-playing and reinforcement are used to develop skills like communication, empathy, cooperation and problem-solving.
  • This approach assumes that criminal behaviour arises due to a deficiency in these prosocial skills.

Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

  • Programs are designed to tackle substance misuse which is often a contributing factor in criminal behaviour.
  • Strategies include detoxification, behavioural counselling, medication, and long-term follow-up to prevent relapse.
  • Rehab programs aim to build healthier coping strategies and behaviours to replace dependency.