NCJ Number
49140
Date Published
1975
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A GENERAL THEORY OF ACTING-OUT BEHAVIOR IS DISCUSSED, AND TREATMENT APPROACHES ARE SUGGESTED.
Abstract
THE BEHAVIOR IS THEORIZED TO BE THE REPETITIVE ACTING-OUT OF UNCONSCIOUS MOTIVATION FORCES WITH LITTLE CONTROL EXERCISED BY THE CONSCIOUS MIND. IT IS MOST OFTEN A REACTIVE FORM OF BEHAVIOR UNTEMPERED BY FANTASY RELEASE OR INSIGHTFUL MEASUREMENT OF POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. SOME OF THE COMMON TYPES OF ACTING-OUT BEHAVIOR IN PRISON ARE ATTENTION-GETTING BEHAVIOR, SEXUAL EXHIBITIONISM, HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR, OVERT AGGRESSION, INWARDLY-DIRECTED AGGRESSION, PYROMANIA, BIZARRE WRITINGS AND DRAWINGS, BIZARRE RITUALS, AND PRISON RIOTS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT SOCIOPATHS, WHO GENERALLY CONSTITUTE 15 TO 20 PERCENT OF PRISON INMATES, ARE MORE PRONE TO ACTING-OUT BEHAVIOR THAN ARE THE 7 TO 10 PERCENT CLASSIFIED AS PSYCHONEUROTIC. THE ACTING-OUT BEHAVIOR IS USUALLY PRECIPITATED BY A PARTICULAR STRESSFUL OR THREATENING EVENT. PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR SUCH BEHAVIOR ARE RECOMMENDED, INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF A NUMBER OF SEPARATE FACILITIES WITHIN A PRISON COMPLEX TO ELIMINATE THE INTERACTION OF LARGE NUMBERS OF INMATES. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP TREATMENT OF INMATES SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: A RECOGNITION THAT ACTING-OUT BEHAVIOR IN PRISON MAY HAVE TENSION-REDUCING VALUES, A POSITIVE EMOTIONAL RELATIONSHIP OR TRANSFERENCE, EMPHASIS ON THE INMATE'S ACQUISITION OF INCREASED INSIGHT AND DESENSITIZATION TO PAINFUL THOUGHT; THE SEPARATION OF ALL KNOWN SEXUAL SOCIOPATHS FROM OTHER INMATES, AND EFFORTS TO HELP INMATES WITH FAMILY AND OTHER SOCIAL PROBLEMS. (RCB)