NCJ Number
53967
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1979) Pages: 42-54
Date Published
1979
Length
13 pages
Annotation
FROM A SAMPLE OF MILITARY OFFENDERS, THREE GROUPS ARE IDENTIFIED ACCORDING TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS, AND APPROPRIATE TREATMENT APPROACHES ARE SUGGESTED FOR EACH GROUP.
Abstract
THE SAMPLE (N=20) STUDIED WAS SELECTED AT RANDOM FROM MEN COMMITTED TO THE AIR FORCE RETRAINING GROUP AFTER BEING COURT-MARTIALED WITH SENTENCES BETWEEN 60 DAYS AND 1 YEAR. EACH SUBJECT WAS INTERVIEWED TO GATHER INFORMATION ON FAMILY, SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY; AIR FORCE EXPERIENCE; CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE OFFENSE; AND PROGRESS THROUGH THE RETRAINING PROGRAM. ALL MEDICAL AND MILITARY RECORDS, AS WELL AS PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST DATA WERE REVIEWED TO PROVIDE A CHECK ON THE INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE RETRAINEES THEMSELVES. FROM THE DATA GATHERED ON EACH SUBJECT, THE FOLLOWING THREE GROUPS WERE ESTABLISHED, BASED ON OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS: (1) A NEUROTIC GROUP, (2) AN IMMATURE YET SOCIALLY CONFORMING GROUP, AND (3) AN ANTISOCIAL GROUP. THE SIX MEN CLASSIFIED IN THE NEUROTIC GROUP ARE REPORTED TO HAVE EXHIBITED A VARIETY OF INTERNAL CONFLICTS WHICH GENERALLY LEFT THEM VULNERABLE TO SITUATIONAL STRESSES, RESULTING IN A FAILURE TO ACCOMPLISH GOALS AND MANAGE THEIR LIVES, AND THIS IN TURN TENDED TO STIMULATE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. WHILE THE MEN WITHIN THIS GROUPING CAME FROM GENERALLY STABLE FAMILIES, THERE WAS A GENERAL ABSENCE OF AN EMOTIONAL ATMOSPHERE OF LOVE AND WARMTH. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT SUCH PERSONS RECEIVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES WITH MINIMAL CONTROL. THE IMMATURE, SOCIALLY CONFORMING GROUP GENERALLY IDENTIFIED WITH PEER SUBCULTURES, WHILE TENDING TO MISTRUST AUTHORITY FIGURES EVEN WHILE PASSIVELY CONFORMING TO THEIR DEMANDS. TREATMENT INVOLVED SEPARATING THEM FROM SUBCULTURAL INFLUENCES WHILE PROVIDING AN ACCEPTING RELATIONSHIP WITH TREATMENT AUTHORITY FIGURES WHO NURTURED THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-DIRECTION. THE ANTISOCIAL GROUP WAS AGGRESSIVE, DEFENSIVE, JUDGMENTAL, AND GENERALLY CLOSED TO ANY AWARENESS OF NEED FOR CHANGE. FOR THIS GROUP, CONFINEMENT IS SEEN AS NECESSARY FOR THE PROTECTION OF OTHERS, WHILE REHABILITATION IS VIEWED AS A LOW PROBABILITY. IN COMPARING THESE GROUPINGS TO THOSE OF OTHER STUDIES, SIMILARITIES ARE NOTED, AND IT IS BELIEVED THESE GENERAL GROUPINGS ARE THE SAME FOR BOTH JUVENILE AND ADULT OFFENDERS. (RCB)