Staff attitudes towards young people in looked after accommodation
| Pages | 257-267 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-04-2013-0022 |
| Published date | 04 November 2014 |
| Date | 04 November 2014 |
| Author | Jennifer Copley,Dan Johnson,Stella Bain |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Forensic practice |
Staff attitudes towards young people in
looked after accommodation
Jennifer Copley, Dan Johnson and Stella Bain
Jennifer Copley and
Dan Johnson, both are
based at Kibble Education and
Care Centre, Paisley, UK.
Dr Stella Bain, based at
Department of Psychology,
Social Work and Allied Health
Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian
University, Glasgow,UK.
Abstract
Purpose – To consider the power of psychological well-being, empathy and copingstyle in predicting staff
attitudes towards young people in looked after accommodation, involved in or at risk of offending behaviour.
The purpose of this paper is to understand more about staff attitudes which have a significant role in the
care and rehabilitation of this client group.
Design/methodology/approach – Psychological well-being, empathy and coping style are discussed in
terms of their impact on attitudes towards young people. The predictive power of each factor is considered
using multiple regression analysis of participants’ responses on an adapted version of the Attitudes to
Prisoners (ATP) scale, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and
the Coping Styles Questionnaire (CSQ).
Findings – Multiple regression analyses showed that empathic concern (affective empathy) was the only
factor predictive of attitudes towards young people. The paper discusses the applied implications for
employers, including the possibility of empathy training for staff members and highlights the need for further
consideration of the factors impacting on staff attitudes.
Practical implications – The outcome suggests that empathy may serve as a protective factor against
the development of negative attitudes. This highlights the importance of fostering staff empathy and the
possible use of empathy training.
Originality/value – The research findings question the robustness of the relationships between staff
psychological well-being, empathy, coping styles and attitudes towards their client group. The outcome
suggests that empathy may serve as a protective factor against the development of negative attitudes.
Keywords Attitudes, Young people, Offending behaviour, Empathy, Coping styles,
Psychological well-being
Paper type Research paper
The involvement of young people in offending behaviour has generated substantial literature
looking at the factors that increase risk (Farrington, 1996; Liddle and Solanki, 2002; Young
et al., 2011) and how to reduce the likelihood of offending (Farrington et al., 2002; Nee and
Ellis 2005; Vennard et al., 1997). Studies have highlighted the importance of relationships
between relevant staff members and clients (Green, 2006; Harder et al., 2012; Lemma, 2010;
Moses, 2000), that attitudes of staff may affect their working practice (Craig, 2005; Lea
et al., 1999) and that young people feel staff attitudes impact on their well-being (Stevens and
Boyle, n.d.).
Many young people considered to be at risk of offending may find themselves accommodated
away from home (Connelly and Milligan, 2012; Darker et al., 2008; Hagell and Newburn, 1994;
Lipscombe, 2003). This is often in order to access intervention for offending and substance
misuse (Hammersley and Marsland, 2003) or for mental health difficulties (Dimigen et al., 1999;
McCann et al., 1996; Richardson and Lelliott, 2003). These characteristics can attract negative
attitudes, both from the public (Allen, 2002; Corrigan et al., 2005; Willis et al., 2010) and relevant
staff members. Studies have reported negative attitudes in prison staff and health staff working
DOI 10.1108/JFP-04-2013-0022 VOL. 16 NO. 4 2014, pp. 257-267, CEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8794
j
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PRACTICE
j
PAGE 257
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