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Moral disengagement, aggression and bullying among incarcerated young male offenders in Singapore
Author
Thevathasan, Troy Jack
Supervisor
Tay-Koay, Siew Luan
Abstract
The study aimed to discover the extent of bullying and proportions of bullying groups among incarcerated young male offenders in Singapore. It attempted to determine if bullies could be distinguished by personal and incarceration variables. It further examined the relationship between moral disengagement, aggression, and bullying. Finally, it surfaced perceptions of where bullying takes place, who gets bullied, and what should be done in response.
Participants were 177 young incarcerated male offenders between the ages of 16 and 23 from one prison in Singapore. They were administered a questionnaire booklet containing five instruments: the Direct and Indirect Prison Behaviour Checklist-Revised (DIPC-R), the Aggression Questionnaire, the Moral Disengagement Scale, the General Bullying Questionnaire, and a personal information questionnaire in groups of about 20 and were told not to indicate their names or identification numbers. Data collection was done on three days. Data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlation analysis, t-tests, and analysis of variance.
The indirect method of determining involvement in bullying, using the DIPC-R, surfaced more instances of inmates who had bullied others or been bullied by others. The proportion of victims identified by the DIPC-R was similar to other studies. However, the proportion of pure bullies appeared to be small in comparison. The main forms of bullying found in this study were indirect, theft-related direct bullying, and verbal direct bullying.
The only personal variable found to be significantly related to bullying or predictive of bullying category was age. Younger prisoners were found to be more likely to be bully/victims, and age was negatively correlated with number of behaviours indicative of bullying others.
Inmates who were undergoing or had completed a criminogenic needs programme were found to report fewer behaviours indicative of bullying. This was the only incarceration variable that was found to have a significant effect on bullying.
Moral disengagement, aggression, and bullying were all found to be significantly related. There was some evidence that aggression might mediate the relationship between moral disengagement and bullying.
Finally, inmates felt that bullying occurred to inmates who breeched the inmate code. However, they felt that there was a role for staff in the prevention and alleviation of the bullying problem.
Recommendations resulting from the study include developing a comprehensive strategy to deal with bullying, articulating clear anti-bullying policies, educating staff and inmates about the nature and types of bullying which occur in among young incarcerated male offenders, developing suitable risk instruments, identifying and treating potential bullies, preventing victims from becoming bullies themselves, and promoting therapeutic communities within the prison.
Participants were 177 young incarcerated male offenders between the ages of 16 and 23 from one prison in Singapore. They were administered a questionnaire booklet containing five instruments: the Direct and Indirect Prison Behaviour Checklist-Revised (DIPC-R), the Aggression Questionnaire, the Moral Disengagement Scale, the General Bullying Questionnaire, and a personal information questionnaire in groups of about 20 and were told not to indicate their names or identification numbers. Data collection was done on three days. Data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlation analysis, t-tests, and analysis of variance.
The indirect method of determining involvement in bullying, using the DIPC-R, surfaced more instances of inmates who had bullied others or been bullied by others. The proportion of victims identified by the DIPC-R was similar to other studies. However, the proportion of pure bullies appeared to be small in comparison. The main forms of bullying found in this study were indirect, theft-related direct bullying, and verbal direct bullying.
The only personal variable found to be significantly related to bullying or predictive of bullying category was age. Younger prisoners were found to be more likely to be bully/victims, and age was negatively correlated with number of behaviours indicative of bullying others.
Inmates who were undergoing or had completed a criminogenic needs programme were found to report fewer behaviours indicative of bullying. This was the only incarceration variable that was found to have a significant effect on bullying.
Moral disengagement, aggression, and bullying were all found to be significantly related. There was some evidence that aggression might mediate the relationship between moral disengagement and bullying.
Finally, inmates felt that bullying occurred to inmates who breeched the inmate code. However, they felt that there was a role for staff in the prevention and alleviation of the bullying problem.
Recommendations resulting from the study include developing a comprehensive strategy to deal with bullying, articulating clear anti-bullying policies, educating staff and inmates about the nature and types of bullying which occur in among young incarcerated male offenders, developing suitable risk instruments, identifying and treating potential bullies, preventing victims from becoming bullies themselves, and promoting therapeutic communities within the prison.
Date Issued
2009
Call Number
BF724.3.A34 The
Date Submitted
2009