Violence in youth custody: Risk factors of violent misconduct among inmates of German young offender institutions
| Author | Marie C. Bergmann,Thimna Klatt,Dirk Baier,Stephan Hagl |
| Published date | 01 November 2016 |
| Date | 01 November 2016 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1477370816643733 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
European Journal of Criminology
2016, Vol. 13(6) 727 –743
© The Author(s) 2016
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DOI: 10.1177/1477370816643733
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Violence in youth custody:
Risk factors of violent
misconduct among inmates
of German young offender
institutions
Thimna Klatt
Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Germany
Stephan Hagl
Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Germany
Marie C. Bergmann
Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Germany
Dirk Baier
Zurich University of Applied Sciences, School of Social Work, Institute of Delinquency and Crime
Prevention, Switzerland
Abstract
Inmate-on-inmate violence is a serious problem in prisons and young offender institutions.
However, most studies on predictors of violent misconduct have focussed on adult inmates. This
study examines the perpetration of violence in multiple young offender institutions, using the self-
report data of 865 male inmates. Prevalence rates indicate that violence occurs to a high extent
in the institutions. Regression analyses show that both importation and deprivation variables
significantly predict the perpetration of physical and sexual violence. Specifically, drug use during
imprisonment, violent beliefs, and a negative inmate–staff relationship were found to increase the
risk of violent misconduct. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Keywords
Young offenders, prison violence, risk factors, importation model, deprivation model
Corresponding author:
Thimna Klatt, Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Lützerodestr. 9, 30161 Hanover, Germany.
Email: thimna.klatt@kfn.de
643733EUC0010.1177/1477370816643733European Journal of CriminologyKlatt et al.
research-article2016
Article
728 European Journal of Criminology 13(6)
Introduction
Violent misconduct in prison, including physical and sexual assaults against other
inmates, is a common problem in both adult prisons and young offender institutions
(YOIs). Prevalence rates differ considerably, depending on the methodology, the sample,
and the definition of prison violence employed in the research (see, e.g., Ireland, 1999;
Tasca et al., 2010). Irrespective of the exact frequency of inmate-on-inmate violence, its
occurrence is a major concern. Prison violence not only needs to be prevented because
inmates have a right to be treated humanely, even while imprisoned, which includes
protection from victimization. Prevention of violence, especially among young inmates,
is also important because it can impact future offending after release (Trulson et al.,
2005), which constitutes a threat to public safety.
What has to be noted is that most research on inmate-on-inmate violence focusses on
samples of adult offenders. It is questionable if the findings from these studies can be
generalized to juvenile and adolescent inmates, because their developmental trajectories
are still evolving (cf. Moffitt, 1993; Sampson and Laub, 2003). Additionally, the vast
majority of studies on the topic of inmate-on-inmate violence have been conducted in the
US and in the UK. It is not clear if results from research in these countries also apply to
other prison populations in different countries with different legislations and conditions
of confinement.
Thus, the aim of the present study is to close this research gap by examining predic-
tors of prison violence among young offenders in Germany. Self-report data were
obtained from 865 male inmates to assess which personal and institutional factors are
associated with the perpetration of physical and sexual inmate-on-inmate violence.
Theoretical and empirical background
Previous research indicates that violence among juvenile and adolescent inmates occurs
rather frequently. Power et al. (1997), for example, reported that almost 30 percent of the
707 juvenile inmates they surveyed had bullied other inmates since they were in the
institution. A study of violent victimization among inmates of a German YOI found that
34.9 percent of the inmates had been physically assaulted while imprisoned and 53.3
percent of the young offenders indicated that they had been physically threatened during
their current sentence (Kury and Smartt, 2002). Tasca et al. (2010) conducted in-depth
interviews with 95 Black and Latino offenders in the US, aged 16–18. More than half of
the participants indicated that they had assaulted another inmate at least once during the
12 months preceding the interview. Using a self-report behavioural checklist, Ireland
(1999) found that among a sample of adult and young offenders of both sexes in the UK,
37.5 percent stated that they had used direct bullying (e.g. physical or sexual bullying) at
least once against another inmate.
Different theoretical approaches have been brought forward to explain violent mis-
conduct among prisoners. The traditional and possibly most intensively studied ones are
the importation and deprivation models. The importation model suggests that inmate
(mis-)conduct reflects the attitudes, beliefs, and behavioural patterns that the inmate has
acquired prior to his or her incarceration (Irwin and Cressey, 1962). The deprivation
model, on the other hand, suggests that inmate behaviour can be best explained by the
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