• To get an insight about the stages of change
• To understand the use of violence reduction scale, integrating the risk assessment and change measurement together for therapeutic purposes
• To understand that while using VRS, How we actually measure change
• To find the answer that how psychodynamic model works for the treatment of violent criminals
Stages of Change
The Trans-theoretical Model of Change or the Stage of Change Model was developed by Prochaska et al, 1992, it addresses the issue of treatment readiness, treatment change and the need to match treatment delivery to client readiness. The model postulates that individuals who modify their problem behaviours progress through a series of five stages:
1. Pre-contemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance
- Pre-contemplation
Is marked by absence of any desire to change. Criminals in the pre-contemplation stage have neither insight nor intention to change in the foreseeable future. They are often in denial and blame external factors. Do not consider crime as some thing bad. Like a chain smoker denying the adverse effects of smoking on health.
- Contemplation
Those in the contemplation stage are fence-sitters; they acknowledge their problems but have shown no relevant behavioural change: `all talk, no walk'. But at least in this stage they have started thinking about the change. Like a smoker has started thinking about quitting the smoking, although no behavioral step is taken yet.
- Preparation
Those in the preparation stage combine intentions to change with relevant behavioral changes to address problems. However, changes tend to be recent and/or quite unstable.( e.g. cutting down the number of cigarettes)
- Action
Those in the action stage actively modify their behaviors, attitudes and environment to address their problems; overt behavioral changes are made, commitments followed through and energies expended to change.( a smoker has completely quitted the smoking but only three to six months have passed so we can not say that he will maintain his behaviour)
- Maintenance
In the maintenance stage, the desired behaviour is maintained over a long period of time like one year or more. Relapse prevention techniques are used to consolidate, strengthen and generalize the gains made in the action stage.
Treatment is a process of change. The primary goal of correctional treatment is to bring about positive changes in criminogenic needs leading to risk reduction. Treatment changes must be assessed objectively and systematically to determine the amount of risk reduced. Assessment and treatment must be closely integrated: assessments of the clients' risk, need and responsivity should inform treatment providers of who to treat (risk principle), what to treat and how to deliver treatment, in particular to treatment-resistant clients Clinicians who provide correctional treatment require the appropriate tools to assess risk, needs, responsivity and treatment readiness, and to measure treatment change.
The VRS was developed by Wong & Gordon, 2006 and is designed to integrate the assessment of risk, and treatment change into a single tool. It assesses the clients' level of violence risk, identifies treatment targets linked to violence, assesses the clients' readiness for change and their post-treatment improvements on the treatment targets. Treatment improvement or lack thereof is linked to quantitative changes in violence risk.
• To understand the use of violence reduction scale, integrating the risk assessment and change measurement together for therapeutic purposes
• To understand that while using VRS, How we actually measure change
• To find the answer that how psychodynamic model works for the treatment of violent criminals
Stages of Change
The Trans-theoretical Model of Change or the Stage of Change Model was developed by Prochaska et al, 1992, it addresses the issue of treatment readiness, treatment change and the need to match treatment delivery to client readiness. The model postulates that individuals who modify their problem behaviours progress through a series of five stages:
1. Pre-contemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance
- Pre-contemplation
Is marked by absence of any desire to change. Criminals in the pre-contemplation stage have neither insight nor intention to change in the foreseeable future. They are often in denial and blame external factors. Do not consider crime as some thing bad. Like a chain smoker denying the adverse effects of smoking on health.
- Contemplation
Those in the contemplation stage are fence-sitters; they acknowledge their problems but have shown no relevant behavioural change: `all talk, no walk'. But at least in this stage they have started thinking about the change. Like a smoker has started thinking about quitting the smoking, although no behavioral step is taken yet.
- Preparation
Those in the preparation stage combine intentions to change with relevant behavioral changes to address problems. However, changes tend to be recent and/or quite unstable.( e.g. cutting down the number of cigarettes)
- Action
Those in the action stage actively modify their behaviors, attitudes and environment to address their problems; overt behavioral changes are made, commitments followed through and energies expended to change.( a smoker has completely quitted the smoking but only three to six months have passed so we can not say that he will maintain his behaviour)
- Maintenance
In the maintenance stage, the desired behaviour is maintained over a long period of time like one year or more. Relapse prevention techniques are used to consolidate, strengthen and generalize the gains made in the action stage.
Treatment is a process of change. The primary goal of correctional treatment is to bring about positive changes in criminogenic needs leading to risk reduction. Treatment changes must be assessed objectively and systematically to determine the amount of risk reduced. Assessment and treatment must be closely integrated: assessments of the clients' risk, need and responsivity should inform treatment providers of who to treat (risk principle), what to treat and how to deliver treatment, in particular to treatment-resistant clients Clinicians who provide correctional treatment require the appropriate tools to assess risk, needs, responsivity and treatment readiness, and to measure treatment change.
The VRS was developed by Wong & Gordon, 2006 and is designed to integrate the assessment of risk, and treatment change into a single tool. It assesses the clients' level of violence risk, identifies treatment targets linked to violence, assesses the clients' readiness for change and their post-treatment improvements on the treatment targets. Treatment improvement or lack thereof is linked to quantitative changes in violence risk.
