NCJ Number
231296
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 54 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2010 Pages: 517-536
Date Published
August 2010
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Borrowing from restorative justice as a more emotionally intelligent form of justice, this article examines the role of shame and guilt in a domestic violence offender treatment program.
Abstract
Offender rehabilitation, pitting the rational ability of criminal justice against the seeming irrationality of criminal behavior, remains controversial. Psychology highlights the importance of emotions in mediating individual behavior. In the program evalauated, the emotions are differentiated and then activated, similar to the use of reintegrative shaming in restorative justice, to promote greater offender accountability and empathy. Using a two-group comparison of male domestic violence offenders, measurements were taken on three sets of scales in assessing the outcome of the shame transformation process. Statistically significant effects were found for self-esteem and empathetic concern. Findings and future research are discussed. Tables, notes, and references (Published Abstract)