NCJ Number
211228
Date Published
2005
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This chapter presents an overview of prison-bullying research to date, so as to identify any gaps in research and to provide a rationale for the importance of advancing theory on this issue.
Abstract
Overall, bullying between inmates is an under-researched field, particularly when compared to research on bullying in other settings. Prison research on bullying has focused on adult offenders and young offenders (18-21 years old); few studies have examined bullying among juvenile inmates (14-17 years old). Research has also focused on men, although the number of studies on women is increasing; however, prison-bullying research has quickly evolved over the last 5 years regarding how the behavior is defined, the characteristics explored, the measurement methods chosen, the analysis applied, and how the various groups involved in bullying are defined. As part of this evolution there has been increased attention to the development of theory and more useful areas of study, such as intrinsic characteristics and the refinement of methods and analysis. Some recommendations have emerged from the research that should be considered by those who are attempting to develop antibullying interventions in prisons. One recommendation is that bullying be viewed in accordance with individual psychopathology models, but the role of the social and physical environments in encouraging bullying should be acknowledged. Some researchers have also noted that bullying can be an adaptive behavior in prison; intervention in such instances should emphasize environmental approaches, the costs to the bully of such behavior, and the limiting of opportunities for bullying. The focus should be on how to encourage the bullying inmate to interact more positively with his/her peers. The promotion of a prison as a community that rewards and encourages prosocial behavior is the best approach to preventing bullying behavior. 41 references