In the heat of the moment: Clarifying risk factors for criminal behavior
Method Stream: Qualitative research
ECs: Only 14 EC (standard, no new/own data collection. Applicable in case of a clinical internship)
Description
In forensic psychology, the primary goal of treatment is to reduce the patient’s risk of reoffending. The most effective way of doing this is by focusing on the patient’s risk factors. Different types of risk factors exist. Static factors cannot change, like age and criminal history, but can still be used to predict the risk of reoffending. Dynamic risk factors, on the other hand, are changeable and therefore assessed and targeted in forensic treatment. Dynamic risk factors could be distinguished between stable dynamic risk factors (SDRFs), such as substance use and antisocial attitudes, and acute dynamic risk factors (ADRFs), such as intoxication or victim access. While much research has been conducted on SDRFs, much less is known about ADRFs and the relationship between SDRFs and ADRFs. Furthermore, while the term ‘trigger’ is often used in treatment, its definition and the overlap and differences with ADRFs are unclear.
In this assignment, you will focus on the conceptualization of ADRFs and triggers – two often-used, but vaguely defined concepts in forensic psychological research and practice. We have already conducted interviews with international researchers and practitioners to explore how they perceive the concepts and how they view the role of the concepts in the treatment of forensic patients. Some of these interviews still have to be transcribed. In your thesis, you will analyze the data. You are free to come up with your research question within the scope of the present study. For example, you could focus on the relationship between the different types of DRFs or on the distinction between ADRFs and triggers.