Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Making connections
- Authors:
- OGI Laura, BARBER-LOMAX Lisa, BOYDEN Paul
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, April 2010, pp.31-35.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
People with learning disabilities may struggle to find opportunities and ways to develop friendships due to limited social skills and difficulties in understanding the complicated world of human relationships. This article describes a relationships group set up in south Birmingham to help people with learning disabilities understand different types of relationships, how these are made and maintained, and why we like some people more than others. The group programme was comprised of 10 sessions with specific aims under the headings: the understanding of self, the understanding of others, the understanding of different levels of relationships, and the understanding of choices. Although the group was originally open to both men and women, the majority of referrals to the group were for men, and the outcome was a single sex group with 6 members. This article discusses the development in relationships between members and the extent to which interactions increased over time. It also discusses the key themes discussed by the members, including their feelings of being labelled disabled and their lack of employment opportunities.
Effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioural treatment for men with intellectual disabilities at risk of sexual offending
- Authors:
- MURPHY Glynis H., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 23(6), November 2010, pp.537-551.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper presents results from a study providing treatment for men with intellectual disabilities who had shown signs of sexually abusive behaviours. It also evaluated the effects of such treatment in terms of the men’s knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and re-offending rates. Forty-six men participated. Results showed that 83% had engaged in more than one incident of sexually abusive behaviour but only 57% of the men who came for treatment were required by law to attend. Ninety two percent of the men who began treatment completed treatment 1 year later, indicating considerable motivation amongst the men to get treatment for their difficulties. The men showed statistically significant increases in sexual knowledge and victim empathy, as well as reductions in cognitive distortions. Few men showed further sexually abusive behaviour during the 1-year period when they were attending treatment or during the 6-month follow-up period. Only the presence of autistic spectrum disorders seemed related to re-offending. This trial provided some evidence of the effectiveness of such treatment for men with intellectual disabilities. However, there remains a need for a randomised controlled trial.
The development of a sex offender assessment and treatment service within a community learning disability team
- Author:
- LANGDON Peter E.
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 15(1), January 2010, pp.44-50.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article comments on the review by McBrien, Newton and Banks (in pages 31-43 of this journal issue) on the development of a community sex offender assessment service to map and assess risk. This commentary discusses the treatment needs of sexual offenders with intellectual disabilities, and the failure of the Prison Service to meet these needs. It argues that people with intellectual disabilities who exhibit inappropriate sexual behaviour should be afforded local interventions provided by community learning disabilities teams and specialist NHS secure services, and that this work should occur jointly with criminal justice agencies.
The development of a sex offender assessment and treatment service within a community learning disability team (the SHEALD project): mapping and assessing risk
- Authors:
- MCBRIEN Judith, NEWTON Liam, BANKS John
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 15(1), January 2010, pp.31-43.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Managing the risk of sex offending and sexually harmful behaviour presented by some men with intellectual disabilities is enhanced if community services map the number in their catchment area, apply appropriate risk assessment and management methods, and implement evidence-based treatment. This paper describes the methods and progress of one community intellectual disability service based in a large city in the South-West of the UK in mapping and assessing the risks. This service was able to develop a method of comprehensive sexual risk assessment, based on the best evidence available. The number of men with sexually risky behaviour and intellectual disability area in the catchment area came as a surprise to practitioners, managers and commissioners. The article concludes that there are probably more sexually risky men with intellectual disability in each catchment area than is appreciated by services. A concerted effort by a multi-disciplinary intellectual disability team can provide information on these men with risky behaviour and offending histories.
Exploratory and confirmatory analysis of the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Scale (SSREI) in a sample of male offenders
- Authors:
- QUALTER Pamela, IRELAND Jane L., GARDNER Kathryn J.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Forensic Practice, 12(2), May 2010, pp.43-51.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Emotional intelligence (EI), developed as a measure of impairment in emotional functioning for use in the general population, may not always be suitable for use with samples comprising of offenders. This study looks at the factor structure of a common EI trait measure, the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Scale (SSREI, 33-item self-report questionnaire) as used with 225 adult, male offenders from 3 medium secure prisons, in the UK, to gauge their emotional functioning. Results are discussed under ‘Step I; conforming the overall and four-factor structure of EI within a forensic sample’, ‘Step II: exploring and confirming the structure of the Schutte EI scale in a forensic sample’ and ‘Step III: confirming the structure of the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (SSREI) in an adult forensic sample’. The four factors looked for were ‘seeking and using positive emotion’, ‘positive consideration and awareness of emotion’, ‘optimism and determining the emotions of others’, and ‘understanding the emotions of others’. SSREI was observed to be multi-dimensional rather than having the uni-directional structure reported in past studies, but the specific nature, and number, of its factors remains unclear for forensic samples. The authors suggest that the social contexts and encounters that provoke emotion may be different for offenders and non-offenders and that there is a need for further work to develop a trait EI specific to forensic populations.
Therapeutic characteristics of nursing staff in a medium secure setting
- Author:
- INGLIS Pamela A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 1(2), July 2010, pp.30-46.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article discusses the therapeutic and security roles of forensic nursing staff, in medium secure units, viewed as they are by male patients with learning disabilities or mentally disordered patients (the ‘men’) as providing “a source of treatment, comfort, and advice”, but also as “part of the system that deprives them of their liberty”, respectively, which can cause problems for both nurses and patients. Following an introduction, topics such as ‘forensic practice’, ‘therapeutic relationships’, ;the therapy/security paradox’, ‘custodial care’, ‘positive aspects of caring’, ‘characteristics of the “good” nurse’ and ‘discourse’ are discussed prior to describing the methods involved in this retrospective discourse analysis of a local study from the UK. The research involved interviews, group workshops, focus groups and written accounts with and from 10 nursing staff, 3 researchers and 7 ‘men’ about their beliefs about forensic nursing characteristics/practices and ‘truths’ about staff-user relationships. These authors quote the participants’ own words while discussing findings. They claim that ‘staff take pleasure in the men’s achievements’ and ‘men and staff enjoy each others’ company’ and list implications for future practice.
The association between self-report and informant reports of emotional problems in a high secure intellectual disability sample
- Authors:
- LEWIS Claire, MORRISSEY Catrin
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 4(2), June 2010, pp.44-49.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The study explored the relationship between self and informant reports of emotional problems in a forensic intellectual disability sample. The instrument used was the Emotional Problems Scales (EPS), which comprises a Self Report Inventory (EPS-SRI) and an informant Behaviour Rating Scale (EPS-BRS). This was routinely administered to 30 men with intellectual disability in a secure forensic setting, as part of a standard clinical assessment procedure over a 1 year period. The patients were assessed using the EPS-SRI by interview over 1 or 2 sessions. Members of the nursing staff completed the EPS-BRS based on observations over the last 30 days. It was hypothesised that there would be a moderate relationship between corresponding scores on the EPS-SRI and EPS-BRS. However, there were no significant relationships between corresponding scales of the EPS-SRI and EPS-BRS, apart from the scales measuring anxiety. The results continued to be non-significant, even when positive impression management was controlled for. The findings suggest little relationship between self and informant ratings in a forensic intellectual disability sample, and it appears that nursing staff may over-report these problems. The results support the need to gather information from multiple sources when assessing such individuals.
A comparison of psychopathy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and brain dysfunction among sex offenders
- Authors:
- LANGEVIN Ron, CURNOE Suzanne
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, 10(3), May 2010, pp.177-200.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia
With a sample of 1,695 adult, violent and non-violent, male sex offenders from a forensic database of men seen for psychological assessment at a university hospital and/or private clinic in an urban area of the United States, this study looks at the relationship of Hare’s psychopathy scores (PCL-R) with ADHD diagnosis and brain dysfunction/damage measures. The Wender Utah and Connors Adult ADHD Rating Scales were used for childhood and adult ADHD symptoms, respectively. Two neuropsychological measures, the Halsted-Reitan Battery and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, were used to measure brain dysfunction. Participants were comprised of 1,520 sex offenders and paraphilics, and two comparison groups, 133 violent non-sex offenders and 42 non-violent non-sex offenders. Their age and education data are presented. Findings showed that ADHD and brain dysfunction were significantly more common among psychopaths than non-psychopaths, and psychopaths showed more neurological disorders and early problems with learning disorders or disabilities. The authors point out that “although psychopathy is characteristically considered to be an untreatable and dangerous condition, its significant association with ADHD and brain dysfunction indicates that there are important treatments paths that should be explored”. They claim that preventive practice, early treatment and intervention could be an important consideration in the prevention of adult offender behaviours.
Justifications of detainment - from ideology to practice
- Authors:
- INGLIS Pamela A., DALE Colin
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 1(1), April 2010, pp.44-57.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article outlines ideas related to forensic practice with people with learning disabilities through a study exploring the apparent truths about people with learning disabilities who are detained in forensic settings and the staff who work with them. The men in these settings are subject to intense stigma and disadvantage – not only are they categorised as having a learning disability, but also have the added stigma of being offenders, commonly having mental health problems, with others often viewing them as dangerous monsters and sex fiends. Similarly, but to a lesser extent, forensic nurses are stereotyped as prison wardens and ‘tough guys’. These ideas are exposed and challenged through studying the discourses in their dialogue. The general research questions included the following: what are the discourses related to learning disability and forensic practice; and what ideologies underpin and justify forensic practice? This paper is explores the way that the staff and the men experience the medium secure unit and their views as to the advantages and disadvantages of secure care. The findings show that, in general, that the men and the staff are very positive about their lives. The staff report that the men have many attributes and talents, and view having a learning disability as an advantage at times; the staff enjoy their work and have good relationships with the men. The analysis showed that despite the certainty that many feel about the justifications for holding men with learning disabilities in secure settings, many paradoxes exist in the discourses in this setting, which question the validity of knowledge in this area.