Comparison of Emotional Dispositions between Street Gang and Non-Gang Prisoners

Journal article


Mallion, J. S. and Wood, J. L. (2018). Comparison of Emotional Dispositions between Street Gang and Non-Gang Prisoners. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. pp. 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518789147
AuthorsMallion, J. S. and Wood, J. L.
Abstract

Effectively recognizing, identifying, and utilizing emotional stimuli is essential for successful social interactions, with deficits in these robustly identified as risk factors for offending. Psychological understanding of street gang membership is limited, particularly surrounding emotional dispositions distinguishing street gang from non-gang offenders. This study examined how street gang members compare with non-gang offenders on trait emotional intelligence (TEI), antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), callous–unemotional traits, anger rumination, and aggression. Recruited through volunteer sampling, participants included 73 (44 street gang and 29 non-gang) male offenders incarcerated at a U.K. Category C prison. Participants completed seven questionnaires assessing emotional dispositions, social desirability, and, consistent with the Eurogang definition, street gang membership. To compare participants’ demographics and identify the predictors of street gang membership, chi-square and discriminant function analyses were conducted. With a significant discriminant function, ? = .80, ?2(6) = 14.96, p = .021, high levels of ASPD, anger rumination, and aggression and low levels of TEI predict street gang membership. Compared with non-gang prisoners, street gang prisoners did not differ on callous–unemotional traits, age, or ethnicity. Results suggest that, compared with non-gang prisoners, street gang members were more likely to possess dysfunctional emotional dispositions. Findings from this research have important implications in terms of developing interventions for street gang membership. Specifically, this research supports the need for gang-specific early intervention and prevention programs, with emotion-focused components. Ideas for future research are discussed, including the identification of further sociocognitive, personality, and emotional traits distinguishing street gang from non-gang offenders.

This is the accepted version of the article.

KeywordsGang; Emotion; Trait emotional intelligence; Personality; Eurogang
Year2018
JournalJournal of Interpersonal Violence
Journal citationpp. 1-21
PublisherSage
ISSN0886-2605
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518789147
Publication dates
Print18 Jul 2018
Publication process dates
Accepted01 Jul 2018
Deposited16 Jul 2020
Accepted author manuscript
License
File Access Level
Open
Permalink -

https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/8q20w

Download files


Accepted author manuscript
Mallion & Wood (2018a) comparison of emotions gangs.pdf
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
File access level: Open

  • 126
    total views
  • 150
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 1
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Challenges to the real-world delivery of brief alcohol interventions in the custody suite: qualitative study
Jarrett, M., Mills, T., Mallion, J., Sykes, S., Wills, J. and Chaplin, E. (2024). Challenges to the real-world delivery of brief alcohol interventions in the custody suite: qualitative study. BJPsych bulletin. https://doi.org/doi:10.1192/bjb.2024.48
“The Pandemic is Just Happening on Top of a Pandemic for Us”. Unpaid Carers’ Experiences of Lockdown in the UK: A Thematic Analysis
Moultrie, E., Mallion, J. and Taylor-Page, C. (2024). “The Pandemic is Just Happening on Top of a Pandemic for Us”. Unpaid Carers’ Experiences of Lockdown in the UK: A Thematic Analysis. Journal of Long Term Care. https://doi.org/10.31389/jltc.156
Doing public health differently: How can public health departments engage with local communities through social media interventions?
Watkins, M., Mallion, J.S., Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Doing public health differently: How can public health departments engage with local communities through social media interventions? Public Health in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100412
Public health messages during a global emergency through an online community: A discourse and sentiment analysis
Watkins, M., Mallion, J., Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Public health messages during a global emergency through an online community: A discourse and sentiment analysis. Frontiers in Digital Health. 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1130784
"Ending death, not ending life": Understanding Positive Attitudes toward Assisted Dying in the UK
Mallion, J. and Murphy, L. (2023). "Ending death, not ending life": Understanding Positive Attitudes toward Assisted Dying in the UK. London South Bank University. https://doi.org/10.18744/lsbu.933qw
“The problem was dying badly, and the answer was dying well” Assisted Dying: A policy briefing
Mallion, J.S. and Murphy, L. (2022). “The problem was dying badly, and the answer was dying well” Assisted Dying: A policy briefing.
Psychology of Gang Involvement
Mallion, J. Wood, J.L., Mallion, J.S. and Frisby-Osman, S. (ed.) (2022). Psychology of Gang Involvement. London Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group).
Good Lives Model: Importance of Interagency Collaboration in Preventing Violent Recidivism
Mallion, J. (2021). Good Lives Model: Importance of Interagency Collaboration in Preventing Violent Recidivism. Societies. 11 (3), p. e96. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc11030096
Systematic review of ‘Good Lives’ assumptions and interventions
Mallion, J. S., Wood, J. L. and Mallion, A. (2020). Systematic review of ‘Good Lives’ assumptions and interventions. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 55, p. 101510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2020.101510
Street Gang Intervention: Review and Good Lives Extension
Mallion, J. and Wood, J. (2020). Street Gang Intervention: Review and Good Lives Extension. Social Sciences. 9 (9), p. e160. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci9090160
Good Lives Model and street gang membership: A review and application
Mallion, J.S. and Wood, J.L. (2020). Good Lives Model and street gang membership: A review and application. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2020.101393
What is the evidence for offense-specific group treatment programs for forensic patients?
Mallion, J. S., Tyler, N. and Miles, H. L. (2019). What is the evidence for offense-specific group treatment programs for forensic patients? International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. 19 (2), pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/14999013.2019.1648344
Does specialized psychological treatment for offending reduce recidivism? A meta-analysis examining staff and program variables as predictors of treatment effectiveness
Mallion, J (2019). Does specialized psychological treatment for offending reduce recidivism? A meta-analysis examining staff and program variables as predictors of treatment effectiveness. Clinical Psychology Review. 73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101752
Emotional processes and gang membership: A narrative review.
Mallion, J. S. and Wood, J. L. (2018). Emotional processes and gang membership: A narrative review. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 43 (1), pp. 56-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2018.10.001
Community- and hospital-based nurses’ implementation of evidence-based practice: are there any differences?
Mallion, J. S. and Brooke, J. L. (2016). Community- and hospital-based nurses’ implementation of evidence-based practice: are there any differences? British Journal of Community Nursing. 21 (3). https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2016.21.3.148