Life Minus Violence-Enhanced (LMV-E) with women in custody: single-case experimental design
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-08-2019-0055 |
| Date | 21 November 2019 |
| Pages | 295-306 |
| Published date | 21 November 2019 |
| Author | Annette McKeown,Sarah McCrory |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology |
Life Minus Violence-Enhanced (LMV-E)
with women in custody: single-case
experimental design
Annette McKeown and Sarah McCrory
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this single-case experimental design paper is to examine the efficacy of the
high-dosage Life Minus Violence –Enhanced (LMV-E) programme with a small sample of four violent
women in custody. All participants were undertaking LMV-E as one component of their treatment pathway
in an Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) treatment service for women with personality disorder.
The methodology employed an AB baseline design with a six-month baseline period, nine-month treatment
period and six-month follow-up. Levels of direct and indirect aggression were recorded throughout the
baseline, intervention, and follow-up period. In the follow-up period, women were engaging in further
treatment. Psychometric measures linked to treatment domains were used to explore clinically significant and
reliable change following the intervention. Clinical and reliable change was indicated in some treatment
domains for each participant following the intervention. The pattern of these reductions varied between the
women. The patterns of findings are discussed and recommendations presented.
Design/methodology/approach –The methodology employed an AB baseline design with a six-month
baseline period, nine-month treatment period and six-month follow-up. Levels of direct and indirect
aggression were recorded throughout the baseline, intervention and follow-up period. In the follow-up period,
women were engaging in further treatment. Psychometric measures linked to treatment domains were used
to explore clinically significant and reliable change following the intervention.
Findings –Clinical and reliable change was indicated in some treatment domains for each participant
following the intervention. The pattern of these reductions varied between the female offenders. The patterns
of findings are discussed and recommendations presented.
Practical implications –The LMV-E programme was associated with some positive improvements in
treatment domains measured in a small sample of female violent offenders. Improvements to some degree were
most commonly found in the domains of anger, emotional control and components of criminal thinking. I t would be
clinically useful to examine characteristics of individuals that appear to benefit most from particular interventions .
Originality/value –There are no existing published findings related to the implementation of LMV-E with
females. Therefore, this paper provides preliminary contribution to the evidence base in this area.
Keywords Intervention, Case-study, Violence, Women, Design, Violent
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Women with a history of violence represent a large proportion of women in prison in the UK (Ministry
of Justice, 2018). In June 2018, there were 3,803 women in custody in the UK and 29 per cent
were incarcerated for offences of violence against the person (Ministry of Justice, 2018). Given the
proportionately high level of violent offending noted in female offenders, the importance of violence
interventions to reduce risk of re-offending is clear. Understanding gender differences identified in
violent offending is also imperative to help identify, implement and evaluate psychological treatment
interventions for violent women (Bloom, Fischer and Orme, 2003; Bloom, Owen and Covington,
2003; Maneta et al., 2012; Swan and Snow, 2006; Widom et al., 2014). This study aims to provide
preliminary evidence to informthis area through examining the effectiveness of an intensive violence
intervention with female violent offenders with personality disorder.
Received 4 August 2019
Revised 1 September 2019
Accepted 23 September 2019
Annette McKeown is based at
Kolvin Service,
Northumberland Tyne and
Wear (NTW) NHS Foundation
Trust, Newcastle, UK.
Sarah McCrory is based at
Tees Esk and Wear Valleys
NHS Foundation Trust,
Durham, UK.
DOI 10.1108/JCRPP-08-2019-0055 VOL. 5 NO. 4 2019, pp.295-306, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-3841
j
JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH, POLICY AND PRACTICE
j
PAGE295
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