A Positive Versus Negative Interaction Memory Affects Parole Officers' Implicit Associations Between the Self-Concept and the Group Parolees.

Background: Parole officers are one of many actors in the legal system charged with interpreting and enforcing the law. Officers not only assure that parolees under their supervision comply with the terms of their release, but also monitor and control parolees' criminal behavior. They conduct their jobs through their understanding of their official mandate and make considered and deliberate choices while executing that mandate. However, their experiences as legal actors may impact their implicit cognitions about parolees. This experiment is the first of its kind to examine implicit (i.e., automatic) associations between the self and parolees among actors of the legal system. Objective: The present study examines the implicit cognitive consequences of the quality of the parole officer-parolee relationship from the perspective of the parole officer; specifically, whether parole officers who are reminded of positive experiences with parolees implicitly associate more with the group parolees than those reminded of a negative experience. In addition, we explore the moderating effects of parole officers' subjective professional orientation and identification. Method: Eighty-four New Jersey parole officers participated in the study. First, an experimental manipulation of either a past positive or negative experience was administered via a writing task. Participants then completed an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to measure associations between the self-concept of parole officers with parolees who are part of the group criminal, followed by measures of professional orientation and identification. Results: Participants who were reminded of a positive experience with a parolee exhibited stronger associations between self and the group parolee when compared to those who were reminded of a negative experience. Neither professional orientation nor parole officer group identification were related to implicit associations and did not moderate the effect of the past experience reminder on implicit associations. Conclusion and Implications: Implicit cognitions of parole officers may influence their behaviors and interactions with those whom they supervise. Positive reminders affect implicit self-associations with parolees presumably via empathy, which is known to affect the quality of therapeutic and supervision relationships; thus, theoretically, leading to improved outcomes for both officers and parolees.

Situational Victimization Cues Strengthen Implicit and Explicit Self-Victim Associations: An Experiment With College-Aged Adults.

Contextually salient social identities are those that individuals may not think of often but that may be temporarily activated by relevant situational cues. We hypothesized that victim, one of many identities people may possess, is a contextually salient identity that operates both implicitly and explicitly. To test this hypothesis, the present research tests the effect of a situational victimization cue on implicit and explicit self-victim associations. We utilized an experiment with a 2 (Victimization salience: yes vs. no) × 2 (Past victimization experience: yes vs. no) between-participants design. One hundred eighty-one undergraduate student participants were recruited and randomized into one of two conditions: (a) an experimental condition reminding them of a previous victimization experience or (b) a control condition whereby they did not receive a reminder. All participants then completed one Single-Category Implicit Association Test, and self-report measures of explicit self-victim associations and victimization experience. Between-participants analyses of variance were used to analyze data. Results indicated that individuals who were reminded of a previous victimization exhibited stronger explicit and implicit self-victim associations compared to those who were not reminded. This research provides initial evidence that victim is a contextually salient identity, which has implications for the factors and processes underlying identity formation, revictimization, and the prevention of repeat victimization.

Implicit Social Cognitive Processes Underlying Victim Self and Identity: Evidence With College-Aged Adults.

Past research on victimization has relied predominantly on individuals' awareness of and willingness to self-report a victimization experience and its effect on self and identity processes. The present research adopts theoretical and methodological innovations in implicit social cognition research to provide a new perspective on how a violent victimization experience might influence identity processes outside of conscious awareness. Our main goal was to test whether individuals who have victimization experience implicitly associate the self with victims (implicit victim identity) and their stereotypes (implicit victim self-stereotyping), and the relation of these associations to explicit victim identity and self-stereotyping. Two pretests with undergraduate student participants (Ns = 122 and 72) identified victim-related word stimuli for two Single Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) measures of implicit victim identity and self-stereotyping. In Pretest Study A, participants read crime vignettes and listed words that described a victim, then in Pretest Study B, participants rated these words on victim relatedness and valence. The Main Study recruited undergraduate student participants (N = 101) who completed the SC-IATs, self-report measures of explicit victim identity and self-stereotyping, and victimization experiences. Three of our five hypotheses were supported. Individuals with past victimization experience exhibited strong explicit victim identity and self-stereotyping, but not implicit victim identity and self-stereotyping, relative to those with no victimization experience. Explicit and implicit victim identity and self-stereotyping were unrelated. Finally, among individuals with victimization experience, a strong implicit victim identity was associated with strong implicit victim self-stereotyping. This research has implications for understanding the processes underlying revictimization and for preventing further victimization.

Implicit self-criminal cognition and its relation to criminal behavior.

Three studies adopted implicit social cognition theory and methodology to understand criminal cognition outside of conscious awareness or control, specifically by testing whether individual differences in implicit associations between the self and the group criminals are related to criminal behavior. A Single Category Implicit Association Test measured self-criminal associations across 3 adult samples-2 from Newark, New Jersey, a high-crime United States city, and an adult national sample from the United States. Then, all participants reported their criminal behavior in 2 cross-sectional design studies and 1 longitudinal design study. Consistent with an additive model of implicit and explicit cognition, studies generally demonstrated that strong implicit self-criminal associations increased the odds of committing a criminal act, even after accounting for explicit self-criminal cognition, past criminal behavior, and/or criminal-related demographics. This research suggests that implicit self-criminal associations serve as a cognitive marker for criminal behavior. Furthermore, the present research calls into question criminal justice policies and practices that assume that criminal behavior is exclusively driven by criminal intent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Reducing out-of-community placement and recidivism: diversion of delinquent youth with mental health and substance use problems from the justice system.

For a number of reasons, researchers and policy makers are now focusing on diversion of youth from the juvenile justice system. This study examines New York State's diversion efforts focused on youth with mental health and substance abuse problems who are at risk of out-of-community placement (N = 2,309). Twelve counties participated in the Mental Health Juvenile Justice (MH/JJ) Diversion Project. Overall, the initiative was successful in reducing out-of-community placement and recidivism for diverted youth. In regression analysis site, services received, and problem-profile variables were important predictors of out-of-community placement. Prior record, prior placement, and significant mental health problems were statistically significant predictors of recidivism. This suggests some contrasts in explaining the results of two important goals of the MH/JJ project. Study results and implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

Diverting multi-problem youth from juvenile justice: investigating the importance of community influence on placement and recidivism.

In the U.S., diversion has increasingly become one of the most utilized alternatives to detention of delinquent youth. Programs providing diversion can vary greatly. Variations in program design make it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of program outcomes. Utilizing hierarchical linear modeling, this study examines variations in outcome for ten program sites of the New York State MH/JJ Diversion Project. Program and youth predictors were evaluated on two outcomes: out-of- community placement and recidivism. At the individual level, significant mental health and substance abuse problems, age, prior placements, and use of wraparound funds were predictive of youth placements, while significant substance abuse problems were predictive of recidivism. Program variations were found to have a significant impact on youth outcomes. Specifically, sites providing direct (or "in house") care had significantly reduced rates of placement. Study results and implications for future research are discussed.

Responding to persons with mental illnesses: police perspectives on specialized and traditional practices.

Persons with mental illnesses increasingly come into contact with police in the community due to changes in local and national policies and police responsibility for maintaining order. Recently, specialized intervention strategies have been advanced to ensure that persons with mental illnesses are not inappropriately arrested and moved into the criminal justice system. This study builds on previous research undertaken on police perceptions of dealing with persons with mental illnesses in the community and effectiveness of response (see Borum et al., 1998). A subsample of 182 officers from the Newark, NJ, Police Department was surveyed and added to a sample of 452 officers from three agencies with specialized responses to persons with mental illnesses. The authors conclude that, despite a non-specialized response to this population, the actual and perceived effectiveness of Newark's strategy is similar to (and in some cases better than) that which is observed in the agencies with specialized response programs. Implications for implementing specialized responses for persons with mental illnesses are discussed.

"It's the little things": women, trauma, and strategies for healing.

Women recover and heal from traumatic violent experiences in many different ways. This study, which is part of the Franklin County Women and Violence Project, explores the healing experiences of 18 women who have histories of violence, substance abuse, and involvement in the mental health and/or substance abuse treatment system. Ethnographic interviews suggest that while professional intervention can be beneficial, it may not be adequate. In fact, it can be retruamatizing. The means of service delivery and treatment by individuals, service providers and others, may be more important than the actual service. Often women find that caring individuals and a safe environment yield the greatest benefit. It is not so much what people do to help, but how they do it.

Diversion from the juvenile justice system: the Miami-Dade Juvenile Assessment Center Post-Arrest Diversion Program.

Many arrested youth present with multiple problems, including substance use and mental health problems, poor academic performance, and often come from violent homes and neighborhoods. These problems are directly associated with delinquent behavior and status offenses, presenting challenges to justice agencies, which must respond to these factors to support youths' resources and resiliencies and to reduce the probability of recidivism. The Miami-Dade Juvenile Assessment Center implemented a diversion program for first-time, nonviolent youth. The Post-Arrest Diversion (PAD) program provides systematic, standardized screening and assessment, individualized case planning, an extensive referral service, and case management and follow-up.

Social roles in women's lives: changing conceptions of self.

As part of an effort to improve services and outcomes for women with histories of trauma and co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, the Franklin County Women and Violence Project sought to assess women's perceptions about their social roles and provide them with opportunities to adopt valued social roles. Social role theory suggests that individuals with devalued roles may benefit through the acquisition of valued roles. This article outlines the findings regarding the women's initial assessments of their social roles as well as real and desired changes 3 months after the baseline interview. Findings suggest that valued social roles play a significant role in helping women heal and recover, contributing to greater self-esteem, confidence, and happiness. Conversely, the adoption of devalued roles or worsening of roles contributes to depression and makes it more difficult for women to heal and recover.