Investigating the Integrated Psychosocial Model of Criminal Social Identity in an Irish Prison

Objectives Empirical research findings have shown that a sense of criminal social identity (CSI) is associated with enhanced levels of criminal thinking and criminal behaviour. Yet, there was a dearth of research examining the unique role of psychosocial factors in the development of CSI. Thus, the primary aim of the study sought to empirically investigate the role of the Integrated Psychosocial Model of Criminal Social Identity (IPM-CSI) by exploring, simultaneously, the valance of psychosocial factors in the development of criminal social identity. A secondary aim sought to explore the predictive ability of the IPM-CSI in explaining sexual offending. Method The opportunistic sample consisted of 164 male prisoners incarcerated in the Midlands Prison in Ireland. The following measures were used, Peer Rejection, Parental Supervision, Self-Esteem Measure for Criminals (SEM-C), The Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS), The Measure of Criminal Attitudes and Associates, The Measure for Criminal Social Identity, and In-group and Out-group attitudes. Survey booklets were collected over a nine-day period. Data was analysed using Hierarchical Multiple Regression and Binary Logistic Regression. Results Statistical analyses revealed that criminal association and criminal attitudes were significant predictors of all three factors of CSI. In addition, number of sentences was predictive of both cognitive centrality and in-group ties. In the final analysis, the model explained between 42 – 50% of variance. In addition, the IPM-CSI explained up to 57% of sexual offending, revealing that lower levels of both self-esteem and criminal involvement, and higher levels of peer rejection were statistically significant determinants. Conclusions Offenders who engage more often with criminal associates and hold criminally oriented attitudes have a greater susceptibility to forming a criminal social identity. Interestingly, criminal involvement had the reverse effect on likelihood to commit a sexual offence, suggesting that sexual offenders have fewer criminal associates