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- Evidence-based interventions targeting remand prisoners: A systematic review and meta-analysisPublication . Andrade, Joana; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Abrunhosa, Catarina; Castro-Rodrígues, Andreia deABSTRACT: Background/Aim: Official data show that nearly three million people are awaiting trial in prison. Despite this group representativeness, few interventions have been developed and assessed for these prisoners, even though literature has been showing that they present specific vulnerabilities. Nevertheless, no previous literature review had covered this topic. Considering this, the present review aims to gather evidence on the programs focused on this population, analyzing their intervention targets and their effectiveness. Method: The search identified a total of 7,143 studies. After removing the duplicates, 2,199 were screened using the title and abstract, according to the inclusion criteria. The full-text screening comprehended 45 articles, of which 37 were excluded. This resulted in 8 studies for inclusion in the final analysis, of which four were pharmacological studies. Results: Overall, meta-analysis results exhibited that treatment of remand prisoners (RPs) has an extraordinarily large positive effects, exceeding 92%. Our study confirmed that RPs would benefit from treatment, and therefore intervention programs should be established. Conclusions: Besides, our findings underlined the scarce resources to address the difficulties of the remand population, reinforcing the importance of assessing these individuals’ needs to develop effective responses to them.
- 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.
- INSIGHT intervention for individuals who sexually offended against children: Preliminary results of a randomized pilot studyPublication . Sousa, Marta; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; De Castro Rodrigues, AndreiaThis study examined the preliminary results of a 25-session individual intervention program designed for individuals who sexually offended against children (ISOCs) in Portugal, whether in prison or the community setting. A randomized controlled pilot study was conducted, where eighteen ISOCs were randomly assigned to receive the INSIGHT intervention plus treatment as usual (TAU) or only TAU. ISOCs in the treatment condition demonstrated significant reductions in cognitive distortions related to child sexual abuse, some early maladaptive schemas, psychopathology, interpersonal problems, and risk of sexual violence, along with increases in self-esteem, empathy, and empathy towards victims, all with larger effect sizes. Most of these improvements were sustained at the 3-month follow-up. The intervention shows a potential promise in reducing the risk of sexual violence by addressing risk-relevant factors. Further evaluation with a larger sample is needed for more robust conclusions.
- 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.
- Dropout among perpetrators of intimate partner violence attending an intervention programPublication . Cunha, Olga; Silva, Andreia; Cruz, Ana Rita; Castro Rodrigues, Andreia de; Braga, Teresa; Gonçalves, Rui AbrunhosaBatterer intervention programs (BIPs) are some of the most relevant strategies to reduce intimate partner violence (IPV). However, the rate of dropout is significantly high, which may impact the effectiveness of such strategies. Literature has identified several factors associated with BIPs’ dropout; nonetheless findings remain inconsistent. Thus, the aims of this study were to analyse the differences between perpetrators who completed the program and those who droped out, in terms of sociodemographic, violence-related and intrapersonal variables, as well as identify the predictors of dropout. Eighty-three IPV perpetrators completed a set of measures that assessed attitudes toward domestic violence, physical and psychological abuse of a partner, aggression, coping skills, and readiness to change. Variables related to past criminal history and sociodemographics were also colletected. 42.2% of IPV perpetrators failed to complete the intervention program. The results revealed that age and previous convictions by other crimes than IPV discriminated perpetrators who completed the program from those who droped out, such that, being young and having a previous conviction predicted dropout. These findings reveal a need to further analyse the impact of these factors so BIPs can be tailored to meet the specificities of IPV perpetrators and prevent treatment dropout.
- In or out: Justice-involved women characterization and their perceptions about penal sanctions.Publication . Castro Rodrigues, Andreia de; Andrade, Joana; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Cruz, Ana Rita; Cunha, OlgaWomen incarceration rates in Portugal are rising, nevertheless, noncustodial sanctions should be chosen, whenever possible. This paper aims to understand which women are being sentenced to noncustodial sanctions and which are not, and what they think about their penalty, considering that the penalties’ effectiveness is linked to how they are experienced. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 152 Portuguese women serving custodial and non-custodial sentences. Results demonstrated that women were not spared from prison, regardless of their parental and marital situation and whether or not this was their first penalty or if it was a nonviolent crime conviction. The women generally considered their sentences to be unfair, and rehabilitation was not considered the purpose guiding judges’ sentencing decisions. Implications for the rehabilitation of justice-involved women are discussed since these perceptions might compromise their adherence to the penalties and minimize its effectiveness.
- Intra and extra-familial child sexual abuse: The role of psychopathyPublication . Sousa, Marta; Cunha, Olga; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; De Castro Rodrigues, AndreiaThe present study analyses the relationship between psychopathic traits, the four facets of psychopathy (i.e., interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial), and the type of crime committed (i.e., intrafamilial and extrafamilial child sexual abuse; and nonsexual crimes). The Self-Report Psychopathy Scale – Short Form (SRP-SF) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale – Short Form were completed by 110 male individuals who sexually offended minors (ISOMs) and 146 individuals convicted for nonsexual crimes. Four binary logistic regression analyses were conducted, controlling for sociodemographic, criminal, and individual variables. ISOMs are less likely to score high in the SRP-SF total score and the interpersonal facet and more likely to score high in the affective facet than individuals with nonsexual crimes. Besides, ISOMs are less likely to have a prior history of alcohol and drug abuse and to have previous contact with the justice system but are more likely to have a history of psychological problems. Therefore, only the prior alcohol and drug abuse history emerged as predictors for ISOMs subtypes. According to our results, psychopathic traits should not be considered in the assessment and intervention of ISOMs, and the focus of the intervention should be on the affective dimension and the level of psychopathology
- Initial Validation of Hanson Sex Attitude Questionnaire (HSAQ) in Portuguese perpetrators of child sexual abuse and perpetrators of non-sexual crimesPublication . Sousa, Marta; Gouveia, Cláudia; Cunha, Olga; Basto-Pereira, Miguel; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Castro Rodrigues, Andreia deCognitive distortions (CDs) are a crucial element in the etiology of child sexual offending, with most of the intervention programs targeting them to reduce the risk of sexual recidivism in perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA). Researchers have developed the Hanson Sex Attitude Questionnaire (HSAQ) to assess CDs. With a total sample of 256 participants, the Portuguese version of the HSAQ revealed a two- factor structure. The HSAQ subscales demonstrated good to acceptable psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, as well as discriminant validity. One of the subscales also demonstrated conver-gent validity. Additionally, the two subscales exhibited differences between perpetrators of CSA with and without previous interventions, indicating known-groups validity. Overall, our findings partially support the use of the HSAQ in the forensic Portuguese population, underscor-ing its significance for clinical and research purposes. Nevertheless, particular caution is advised, especially regarding factor two
- The portuguese version of victim empathy distortion scale: Adaptation and psychometric propertiesPublication . Sousa, Marta; Cunha, Olga; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; De Castro Rodrigues, AndreiaVictim empathy is a common intervention target in intervention programs designed for individuals who perpetrated child sexual abuse (CSA). Researchers have developed the Victim Empathy Distortion Scale (VES), an instrument designed to assess empathy for victims of CSA. The present study aims to adapt the VES for the Portuguese population and examine its psychometric properties. One hundred and twelve individuals who perpetrated CSA and 245 individuals from the community participated in this study. The confirmatory factor analysis did not show satisfactory indices for the structures previously tested. Consequently, the search for an alternative model revealed a two-factor structure, explaining approximately 50% of the total variance. Results also indicated good internal consistency, discriminant validity, and known-groups validity. Overall, the results support the claim that the Portuguese version of the VES is a valuable and psychometrically reliable instrument for measuring victim empathy in forensic and non-forensic settings. © The Author(s) 2024.
- Bold, mean and disinhibited: getting specific about the mediating role of self-control and antisocial outcomes in youthPublication . Pechorro, Pedro; DeLisi, Matt; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Marôco, J. P.Self-control and psychopathy are correlated with antisocial behaviors among diverse samples, and a spate of recent studies examined their direct associations with criminal outcomes. However, research has largely overlooked mediation effects between psychopathy, self-control and deviant outcomes. The current study examined self-control mediation effects related to the triarchic psychopathy construct and juvenile delinquency, crime seriousness, conduct disorder (CD), and aggression outcomes. The sample consisted of N ¼ 567 (M ¼ 15.91 years, SD ¼ 0.99, range ¼ 14–18 years) southern-European youth from Portugal. Study design was cross-sectional, quantitative and non-experimental. Mediation analysis using path analysis procedures indicated that low self-control mediates the relation between the Boldness, Disinhibition and Meanness factors of the triarchic psychopathy construct and the delinquency, crime seriousness, CD and aggression outcomes. Findings suggest that self-control is a mediator of triarchic psychopathic features and diverse externalizing behavior outcomes, which adds specificity to their interrelationship as general predictors of antisocial behavior.