Peer-delivered training of criminal offenders for aggression and distress management: a new approach in social treatment in prisons in Serbia

ABSTRACT

Peer-delivered training of criminal offenders for aggression control and distress management was implemented for the first time in Correction Facility in Niš, Serbia. The aim of the manuscript is to present the method of the peer-delivered training and to evaluate the change in the levels of aggression and distress reaction of the participants after completing the program. In the first phase, prison administration chose offenders who completed training for the peer-workers, supervised by engaged professionals. In the second phase, those six convicts trained the sample of 106 fellow prisoners, randomly assigned to the program, through 12 workshops in order to learn and recognize their own dysfunctional reactions and to adapt social desirable behaviour. An independent evaluator compared pre to post-training differences in levels of aggression and distress also presence of psychopathic traits, and socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects, using Buss & Perry Aggression Scale, Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale DS-14 Questionnaire and Socio-demographic Questionnaire. Results indicate increased levels of aggression and decreased levels of distress after the training. Prisoners with longer sentences had increased levels of anger, physical, verbal aggression, psychopathic traits and distress compared to subgroup with sentences shorter than 5 years. Program is beneficial for prisoners with sentences less than 5 years and with high education level.

KEYWORDS:

• Prisoners
• peer-based training
• aggression
• distress

Acknowledgements

The peer-based training program for incarcerated offenders in Penal Correctional Prison in Niš, Serbia was made possible through the support of the German “Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe V”. We express our gratitude to the NGO “Center for Human Rights- Nis”, for their valuable contribution in designing and organizing the implementation of the training program. We also thank to all the participants who took part in the program.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).