Schema behind bars: Trauma, age, ethnicity, and offenders’ world assumptions.

Abstract

The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the impact of trauma, age, and ethnicity on the world assumptions of criminal offenders. Fifty-eight incarcerated offenders completed a modified version of Stressful Life Events Screening Inventory (SLESI) and the World Assumptions Scale (WAS) during 1-hr face-to-face interviews. Ordinary least square regression analyses revealed that trauma significantly predicted meaningfulness of the world among criminal offenders. Age group significantly predicted perceptions of overall world assumptions and benevolence of the world, whereas, exposure to trauma and ethnicity significantly predicted perceptions of self-worth. Understanding how trauma impacts the world assumptions of criminal offenders can be used to develop or improve cognitive focused interventions that address world assumptions as well as more serious psychological symptoms of trauma among criminal offenders.

The heterogeneity of the world assumptions of older adults in prison: Do differing worldviews have a mental health effect?

“…These findings have significant theoretical implications for understanding cognitive schemas and life-course traumatic experiences, especially as it relates to older adults in the criminal justice system. World assumptions theory offers a perspective of the internal worldviews commonly used by trauma survivors, of which a sizeable number are involved in the criminal justice system for committing criminal offenses (Baer & Maschi, 2003; Maschi & Gibson, 2011). These findings suggest that some trauma survivors’ sense of meaning about the world being a fair and just place is challenged.…”

“…To date, there are only two identified studies that have used this measure with a sample of offender populations (Avants, Marcotte, Arnold, & Margolin, 2003; Maschi & Gibson, 2011). Only one study examined world assumptions among individuals who engaged in illegal drug use (Avants et al, 2003), while the other study examined the world assumptions of young and older prisoners (Maschi & Gibson, 2011). Research on the world assumptions of prisoners is particularly important given that studies have found consistently high levels of traumatic experiences among criminal offenders.…”

Coping Strategies and Posttraumatic Growth in Prison

“…However, the use of these coping strategies is known to be quite common among offenders. For example, denial of the crime or blaming the victim would help the offender to protect his or her global meaning of being an "innocent and good" person (Mashi & Gibson, 2012;). The cost of using these coping strategies is rather high.…”

Justice for All: Trauma and the Need for Safety and Fairness Within Juvenile Justice Facilities

“…After a trauma, these core assumptions may be disrupted such that an individual is more likely to negatively interpret new information and react accordingly (Janoff-Bulman, 1992). Adult offenders with a trauma history have been shown to have a decreased sense of fairness and safety (e.g., Maschi & Gibson, 2012). As core assumptions are being developed in childhood, early trauma may be particularly harmful, as children have limited alternate experiences to contrast the trauma and to help them rebuild these shattered assumptions (Janoff-Bulman, 1992).…”