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Attitudes towards prisoners who self harm scale: a psychometric evaluation

Kerri Garbutt (Fens Unit, Offender Personality Disorder Pathway Service, HMP Whitemoor, March, Cambridgeshire, UK and Forensic Services, Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust, Doncaster, UK.)
Helen Casey (Fens Unit, Offender Personality Disorder Pathway Service, HMP Whitemoor, March, Cambridgeshire, UK.)

Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research

ISSN: 1759-6599

Article publication date: 13 July 2015

289

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the internal consistency, convergent validity and test-retest reliability of the Attitudes to Prisoners who Self-Harm scale (APSH). The latter have yet to be examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were prison staff with prisoner contact (N=97). Internal consistency of the APSH was examined using Cronbach’s α. Convergent validity of the APSH was examined by comparing it to the Self-Harm Antipathy Scale, a reliable and valid measure of healthcare staff attitudes to self-harm. Test-retest reliability was examined by re-administering the APSH one week after initial assessment (n=75).

Findings

The measure demonstrated adequate levels of internal consistency, convergent validity and test-retest reliability.

Originality/value

The findings support use of the APSH within custodial settings. It could be used to guide recruitment and training of prison officers that care for prisoners who self-harm and to evaluate the efficacy of their training. This would influence good practice.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of Barbara Parker during the final revision of the paper.

Citation

Garbutt, K. and Casey, H. (2015), "Attitudes towards prisoners who self harm scale: a psychometric evaluation", Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 158-166. https://doi.org/10.1108/JACPR-08-2014-0133

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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