Adverse Childhood Experiences and Positive Childhood Experiences Among United States Military Children.

INTRODUCTION: Many facets of military life are contributors to child health including frequent mobility, family separation, and increased risk to parental physical and mental health, as well as strong social networks and military support systems; yet, there has not been an examination of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) among military children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used the 2020-2021 National Survey of Children's Health, limited to children aged 6 to 17 years of age, to examine the association between a child who has ever had a caregiver on active duty and their exposure to ACEs and PCEs (n = 54,256 children). Bivariate analyses used Pearson's chi-squared tests and were weighted to be nationally representative. Multivariable regression models were used to examine the association between military status and selected ACEs. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in PCEs between military and civilian children. Compared to children with a civilian caregiver, children who had a caregiver who had ever served on active duty had a higher odds of experiencing domestic violence (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR), 1.61; 95% CI 1.23-2.11), mental health issues or depression in the household (aOR 1.28; 95% CI 1.07-1.52), and substance use (aOR 1.28; 95% CI 1.06-1.55). CONCLUSIONS: This study complements and extends previous research that has taken a deficit approach and focused exclusively on the hardships faced by children in military families. The findings from this study may be instructive for child welfare advocates and policymakers as they intervene in communities with programming that promotes PCEs among children and adolescents.

Reexploring Female Pathways to Incarceration: Assessing the Role of Mental Illness.

The pathways framework represents an emerging body of work that emphasizes gendered-based influences on crime and incarceration. To date, studies on female pathways often minimize or exclude the role of mental illness. The current study employs Life Course Theory and the use of Life History Calendar to examine the pathways of a sample of 15 female prison inmates diagnosed with serious and persistent mental health conditions. Findings indicate that mental illness carried criminogenic risk throughout the life course, with crucial transitions of risk leading these women toward long term incarceration. Self-reported pathways included repeated victimization, substance use, psychological trauma, delinquency, and/or crime. This study suggests that the pathway framework would benefit from the increased recognition of the role of mental illness on female criminality. Trauma-informed policy implications are provided and discussed.

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA): Snitching, Sexuality, and Normalizing Deviance.

The normalization of deviance in the form of prison rape finds common themes in media, rape myths, and common discourse. However, these portrayals fail to include real world policies and the perspectives of incarcerated populations. As such, the normalization of deviance is assessed in the context of the implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). A thematic analysis was conducted using qualitative survey responses from 407 males incarcerated in three medium-level security state prisons in the Southern United States. Surprisingly, respondents rejected stereotypical notions of sexuality (institutional deviancy) and snitching (cultural deviancy) surrounding prison rape. Rather, respondents favored standardized safety procedures and institutional responses designed to reduced risk, while also endorsing views that traditional snitching codes were not applicable to prison rape. This study provides implications for researchers and practitioners, particularly in the context of the implementation of PREA.

A Functional Approach to the Assessment of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury on YouTube.

This research explores representations of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) on social media. The current study aims to examine the applicability of a functional model of NSSI to videos posted on YouTube by analyzing the 100 most viewed YouTube videos relating to NSSI at a point in time in 2018. Motivations for continued engagement in NSSI were examined for each content creator who posted one of the top 100 most viewed videos relating to NSSI. Categorizations of a content creator's motivation were based on Nock and Prinstein (2004) four-function model (FFM) of NSSI, in which the motivations, or functions, of NSSI are categorized by two dichotomous factors: (a) positive (i.e., involves the addition of a favorable stimulus) or negative (i.e., involves the removal of an aversive stimulus) and (b) automatic (i.e., intrapersonal) or social (i.e., interpersonal). Uploaders most endorsed automatic negative reinforcement (50%), followed by automatic positive (26%), social positive (3%), and social negative (3%). Considering the growing number of children and adolescents with near constant access to internet and social media, there may be implications for further development of safety measures for social media platforms.＿ The results of this study may be valuable for parents, health care professionals, and educators, who should be aware of available social media content relating to NSSI and consider implementing additional media-literacy and media-safety education in school curriculums and programming for children and adolescents. Furthermore, health care professional should be aware that misconceptions of NSSI may have an impact on patients' willingness to seek treatment, or the attitude with which treatment is sought.

A Qualitative Study of Success in Postrelease Federal Inmates With Mental Health Issues.

Considerable research has focused on factors that put individuals at risk for recidivism after their release from incarceration. While recent research has increased the focus on protective factors and resilience, the experiences of people with mental health issues who successfully reintegrate into the community are not well-understood. The present study was conducted to determine which positive factors are implicated in the successful reintegration of people with mental health issues. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four male former federal inmates on supervised release in Canada. The interviewees were nominated by staff who knew them to have previously been diagnosed with a mental disorder and perceived them to be doing well in the community. Volunteering and social support were found to be of the greatest importance in their successful outcomes. Additionally, all interviewees had access to mental health services, which likely influenced their success.

EVALUATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRISON RAPE ELIMINATION ACT (PREA): A "LESSONS LEARNED" APPROACH.

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was designed to address sexual violence in prison. While previous has focused on sexual violence occurring in correctional facilities, there has been a dearth of studies that document the expertise, experience, or reflections of program following the cimplementation of PREA- within a correctional system. The current study utilizes a "lessons learned" approach to discuss the impact of the PREA Demonstration Project on a state prison system that includes 19 correctional institutions. Results indicate the benefits of merging the philosophical orientation of key stakeholders, establishing benchmarks, and the need for partnerships with prosecutors. A comparison of the perceptions of correctional administrators, inmates, and front-line correctional officers regarding PREA is included. Also featured are the "lessons learned" from the implementation of PREA into four prison sites, along with the concept of building trust and the impact of lockdowns due to staff shortages.

A qualitative assessment of a dog program for youth offenders in an adult prison.

OBJECTIVE: Dog programs occurring in prison tend to generate positive public opinion and media portrayals, yet they often lack empirical validation. This is the first study to examine the key themes that drive a dog program aimed at incarcerated youth serving time in an adult prison. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: A sample of male youth (n = 31) were provided survey questions on a rescue dog program. A grounded qualitative approach was employed with open-ended responses. RESULTS: The following themes emerged: the symbolism of the dog its role in therapy, perceptions of positive behaviors and rehabilitation, a sense of normality, and universal support by inmates. CONCLUSION: This study supports the potential for utilizing rescue dogs in therapeutic interventions in which the vulnerable inmate can discuss early trauma, interpersonal dysfunction and histories of deviance. The dog symbolized the potential for incarcerated youth to engage in discussion of sensitive topics in a safe manner. Policy implications also include the function of dogs in creating a normalizing effect on the prison unit itself, one that can promote rehabilitation. There was universal support for the program which is rare in the prison milieu. Theoretically, positive outcomes occurred in an indirect manner, though more research is needed.

Working with prisoners who self-harm: A qualitative study on stress, denial of weakness, and encouraging resilience in a sample of correctional staff.

BACKGROUND: Rates of self-harm are high among prisoners. Most research focuses on the vulnerable prisoner, and there is little on the impact of these behaviours on staff. AIMS: To investigate staff perceptions of self-harming behaviours by prisoners, including their views on its causes, manifestation, prevention in institutions, and impact on them. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 administrative and 21 therapeutic prison staff who are responsible in various ways for prisoners who self-harm. Their narratives were explored using interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: Despite prison staff being experienced with prisoners' self-harming behaviours, including severe acts of self-harm, they were apt to reject any negative impact on their own mental health or well-being. This denial of negative impact was accompanied by perceptions of the inmate's actions being manipulative and attention seeking. Prison staff also perceived institutional responses to self-harming behaviours by prisoners as being mixed, ambiguous, or showing preference for relying on existing suicide protocols rather than task-specific guidance. CONCLUSIONS: Although staff gave explanations of prisoner self-harm in terms of "manipulative behaviour," prisoners' self-harm is, in fact, complex, challenging, and often severe. This staff perception may reflect denial of impact of often distressing behaviours on them personally and their own coping mechanisms. This could be feeding in to a perceived lack of clear and effective institutional responses to the self-harm, so further research is needed to determine how staff could broaden their views, and respond more effectively to prisoners. Psychologically informed group work and/or reflective practice are among the candidates for such help for staff.

Childhood Abuse, Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, and Suicide Attempts: An Exploration of Gender Differences in Incarcerated Adults.

The relationship between types of childhood abuse, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) was examined in a sample of 415 incarcerated adults (268 men, 147 women). Men and women were equally likely to experience childhood abuse, although women were more likely to report sexual abuse and men were more likely to report emotional neglect. Sexual abuse was the only type of abuse found to predict NSSI and suicide attempts in women. For men, physical abuse and physical neglect were significant predictors of NSSI and suicide attempts, respectively. Gender differences exist and should be examined in future research in this area.

Examining Nock and Prinstein's four-function model with offenders who self-injure.

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate bodily harm or disfigurement without suicidal intent and for purposes not socially sanctioned (e.g., cutting, burning, head banging). Nock and Prinstein (2004) proposed a 4-function model (FFM) of NSSI, in which the functions of NSSI are categorized by two dichotomous factors: (a) positive (i.e., involves the addition of a favorable stimulus) or negative (i.e., involves the removal of an aversive stimulus; and (b) automatic (i.e., intrapersonal) or social (i.e., interpersonal). This study examined the validity of this model with incarcerated populations. In-depth semistructured interviews with 201 incarcerated offenders were analyzed and categorized based on the FFM. Participants' descriptions of functions of NSSI were most commonly categorized as automatic negative reinforcement (25.0%; e.g., coping with negative emotions), followed by automatic positive reinforcement (31.3%; e.g., self-punishment), social positive reinforcement (31.3%; e.g., to communicate with others), and social negative reinforcement (12.5%; e.g., to avoid hurting someone else). While the uniqueness of the correctional environment affects some of the specific functions evident in offenders, FFM can be used to adequately organize the functions of NSSI in offenders, providing a useful tool for explaining this complex behavior. Clinically, NSSI in offenders can be viewed has having the same underlying motivations, although automatic positive reinforcement is more prevalent in offenders and social positive reinforcement is more prevalence in nonoffenders. Given that the motivations underlying nonsuicidal self-injury are similar for offender and nonoffender populations, similar treatment approaches may be effective with both populations. (PsycINFO Database Record

Institutional responses to self-injurious behavior among inmates.

To date, little research has systematically investigated perceptions of mental health professionals regarding motivations for self-injury among prison inmates. To help fill this gap, the authors used descriptive techniques to examine self-injurious behavior among inmates from the perspective of correctional mental health professionals. A quantitative survey assessed perceptions of mental health staff regarding etiology, motivations, and manifestations of self-injury. A qualitative interview component was used to explicate responses from the survey. Inmate cutting, scratching, opening old wounds, and inserting objects were the most commonly witnessed behaviors. Findings suggest that self-injury occurred regularly and that a subset of inmates are responsible for recurrent events. Mental health professionals perceived the motivation for inmate self-injury to be both manipulative and a coping mechanism. They described current management strategies and corresponding needs for training and resources.

Violent crime and victim compensation: implications for social justice.

Restorative justice offers several innovative methods designed to heal the injury that the offender may have caused to the victim. One of these innovative methods is victim compensation, a form of income redistribution designed to redistribute wealth from offenders to victims of crime. Restitution, particularly through the Victim of Crime Act (VOCA), is a needs-based form of justice designed to assist the most needy victims of violent crime. Recent studies suggest that while state-level compensation programs may target poor, young, African American men, compensation at the national level tends to be received more by older, White women who experienced domestic violence. The author suggests that this disparity between state and local resource distribution in the allocation of victim compensation is a reflection of the ideological differences between the established theoretical frameworks of liberalism and radical feminism.