WJCR - William James Center for Research
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Browsing WJCR - William James Center for Research by Author "Abrunhosa Gonçalves, Rui"
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- Does time work its magic? The relationship between time in detention and risk of violence and aggressionPublication . Andrade, Joana; Abrunhosa Gonçalves, Rui; Castro Rodrigues, Andreia deThe present study intends to analyze if there are differences in scores of aggressiveness and violence between three groups of pre-trial detainees with different times of detention. Our analysis regarding the levels of aggressiveness and risk of violence showed a tendency for both measures to be higher in groups detained for less time, even when criminal variables are controlled. Our findings highlight the higher propensity for remanded prisoners to be violent and display aggressive behavior during the first period of confinement, which emphasizes the need to improve the mechanisms of adaptation to that environment.
- Male perpetrators of child sexual abuse: A comparison between individuals serving custodial and non-custodial sentencesPublication . Sousa, Marta; Cunha, Olga; Abrunhosa Gonçalves, Rui; Rodrigues, Andreia de CastroThe literature considers individuals who sexually offended children (ISOCs) as a heterogeneous group. In Portugal, ISOCs may be subject to two types of sentences: custodial and non-custodial measures. In the present study, we performed a comparative analysis between 66 male individuals sentenced to prison and 47 male individuals sentenced to community measures for sexual crimes against children, using a set of sociodemographic, penal, and psychological measures. The results showed that the incarcerated ISOCs’ had more static risk factors for sexual and nonsexual recidivism. Only two variables increased the probability of belonging to the incarceration group: having other convictions beyond child sexual abuse and having committed serious sexual offenses. Based on these results, implications for ISOCs’ treatment and sentencing are discussed.
- Remand prisoners’ specific needs: A systematic reviewPublication . Andrade, Joana; Sousa, Marta; Abrunhosa Gonçalves, Rui; Castro Rodrigues, Andreia deRemand prisoners (RP) are non-sentenced individuals who must be held in prison awaiting sentencing. The international data reported that up to a third of the detainees worldwide are in a pre-trial situation. The present systematic review aims to review the studies that assessed the remand prisoners’ mental problems during detention. Following the PICO strategy, the search identifed a total of 5427 studies, of which, 79 studies were included in the fnal analysis. Substance use disorders were the most reported problem, followed by mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and personality and behavior disorders. A smaller number of studies reported anxiety and neurotic disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder and adjustment disorders, intellectual disorders, paraphilias and sexual disorders, attention-defcit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and somatoform disorders. Our fndings contribute to the scientifc knowledge about this group of inmates’ needs, emphasizing the prevalence of mental problems within this population and supporting both professionals and academics to reform policies and practices.
- The validity of the Violence Risk Scale (VRS) in a Portuguese sample of remand prisonersPublication . Andrade, Joana; Gomes, Hugo S.; Abrunhosa Gonçalves, Rui; Wong, Stephen; Castro Rodrigues, Andreia deThis study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Violent Risk Scale (VRS) in a sample of Portuguese remand prisoners. A total of 133 subjects participated in the present study. We carried out a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to test the originally proposed two factor structure. Results showed evidence to support the VRS's psychometric qualities.The CFA tested the two-factor structure and showed evidence of the goodness of fit of the original two-factor model. Also, our findings indicated acceptable internal consistency for both sub scales. The correlational analyses supported both convergent and discriminant validity of the VRS. Finally, this study also tested known-groups validity. The VRS score showed a satisfactory postdictive accuracy, which means that it is able to demonstrate distinctive scores for groups known to vary on the variables being measured. We consider this work represents an essential support for decision-makers to evaluate the appropriateness of different judicial measures.