The impact of violence exposure on psychosocial outcomes: how do exposed offenders adapt?

Research has shown that traumatic events, including violence exposure, are associated with deleterious outcomes (Scarpa, 2003). While this has been studied extensively in the community, there has been very little attention to a population forced to live in an environment in which violence is common – jail. The present dissertation research examines the impact of violence exposure on a variety of psychological and behavioral variables. The research opens with three studies, two of which use a sample of ex-offenders, and concludes with a longitudinal study assessing jail inmates. The first study (Study 1) examines the effect of violence exposure on aggression in a sample of emerging adults. Results show those with more exposure to violence endorse aggressive beliefs, which leads to increased levels of aggression. In Study 2, I survey a group of males recently released from prison about their experiences with sexual assault and murder in prison and determine their association to psychiatric symptoms post-incarceration. The results provide support for the detrimental impact of prison violence on symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Study 3 evaluates the relation between pre-incarceration mental health problems, feelings of safety during incarceration, and victimization during incarceration in a group of formerly incarcerated males. It further examines how these variables affect psychosocial adjustment during re-entry. The results indicate all three examined variables are uniquely associated with psychosocial difficulties. The final study, Study 4, investigates experiences before, during, and after jail to examine their relation to mental health functioning and recidivism. Four hundred male and female adult inmates were recruited to participate in a 16-week study. During this time period, surveys were administered at four separate times: Wave 1) Within the first three months of admission to jail; Wave 2) Five weeks after Wave 1; Wave 3) Six weeks after Wave 2; Wave 4) Approximately one month post-release. Recidivism data was collected for all participants. Overall, the results suggest that violence exposure, both during incarceration and in the community, negatively impacts mental and behavioral health; however, exposure to violence, in jail or in the community, did not increase the likelihood of recidivism.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Ashley Schappell D’Invern