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The purpose of this paper is to assess the rates of HIV risk-taking behavior and sexual violence among clients with co-occurring addiction and intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study also aims to determine whether HIV risk-taking behaviors (e.g. trading sex for money or drugs, having unprotected sex with multiple partners) differ among substance using IPV offenders with and without a history of sexual aggression.

Secondary analyses were conducted from Easton et al.’s (2017) randomized controlled trial of substance use domestic violence treatment among substance using IPV offenders. Correlational analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between pre-treatment sexual aggression, HIV risk-taking behaviors, substance use and aggression. Analyses of covariance were conducted in order to determine differences in participants’ HIV risk-taking behaviors based on their history of sexual aggression while controlling for hours of contact with the female partners.

In a sample of 63 participants, males with higher rates of sexual aggression were more likely to engage in sexual risk-taking behaviors. This study encountered a correlation between pre-treatment risk-taking behavior and verbal and physical aggression, as well as a correlation between pre-treatment risk-taking behaviors and cocaine use. Results neither suggest a relationship between sexual aggression and alcohol use nor HIV risk-taking behaviors and alcohol use at pre-treatment.

The present study is limited by sample size and power.

This study is among the first of its kind to investigate HIV risk-taking behaviors among substance using offenders of IPV. This study provides support for the inclusion of treatment targeting HIV risk-taking behaviors among IPV offenders.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of trauma with specific consideration to the neurological impact this has on information processing and potential links with aggression.

This paper provides a summary of the literature in relation to theories of aggression and trauma. The paper considers how the two may interact and overlap and considers a theoretical rationale for why addressing trauma through a treatment such as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) may assist to reduce aggression.

The paper argues that the experience of trauma may contribute to inputs which may take a person closer towards engaging in aggression. This is consistent with information processing models and unified models of aggression such as the General Aggression Model. Factors that were specifically identified included physiological hyper‐arousal, hostile attributions of stimulus, and neurological impairments. In addition, the paper also argued that there is evidence that as a result of trauma, a person's ability to provide cognitive accounts for the function of their behaviour may also be impaired because of the reduced interactivity between the two prefrontal hemispheres.

The paper argues that as a result, interventions designed to reduce aggression may benefit from including additional elements which directly assist clients to process emotional information and that a reprocessing treatment such as EMDR could assist to reduce levels of emotional arousal and improve treatment effectiveness. Differences in the way in which EMDR is carried out and the variances in treatment protocols used should be attended to increase the reliability of future research.

Current modes of aggression therapy have focused on exposure based and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). However, there is evidence that EMDR has benefits over exposure and CBT approaches because of the way in which cognitive verbal accounts of the trauma are not required and because EMDR does not require the individual to have insight into their trauma experience and the link with aggression.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which trauma may manifest both in terms of internalising and externalising symptoms.

The paper will argue that the effects of trauma can contribute to victims engaging in problematic behaviours (such as aggression) both towards themselves and others which may require them to attend treatment programmes to target these problem behaviours. However, standard interventions designed to target these problem behaviours do not sufficiently take into account the effects of trauma in terms of attending to the therapy interfering behaviours which are brought to treatment. The paper will argue that these trauma related therapy interfering behaviours should be attended to prior to the client engaging in specific groups to target other problem behaviours (e.g. aggression).

Clients who are referred for standard group based interventions to target problem behaviours such as aggression towards themselves or others should be offered a trauma intervention first in order to improve concentration, reduce drop-out rates and enhance feelings of safety to engage effectively in the group. Group based Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) should be used as a method of targeting therapy interfering behaviours associated with the effects of trauma and this should also incorporate meditation and neurobiologically informed approaches. Standard target problem behaviour groups should be adapted and modified to account for the role of trauma in information processing.

The paper will introduce Trauma Informed Additional – Programme (TIA-P) which is a newly designed group designed to assist clients to tolerate and modify therapy interfering behaviours which are present as a result of trauma in order that they can then go on to attend standardised interventions. The TIA-P attends to the latest research in relation to the treatment of trauma utilising EMDR within the group to enhance safety and reduce therapy interfering behaviours.

Past studies demonstrated the efficacy of integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for substance use disorder (SUD) and intimate partner violence (IPV) as well as high rates of depressive symptoms in this population. However, little is known about how depressive symptoms impact treatment outcomes. The authors hypothesized that integrated CBT, but not standard drug counseling (DC), would buffer the negative effects of depressive symptoms on treatment response.

A secondary analysis of a randomized trial compared men assigned to 12 weeks of integrated CBT for SUD and IPV (n = 29) to those in DC (n = 34).

Most (60%) of the sample reported any depressive symptoms. Controlling for baseline IPV, reporting any depressive symptoms was associated with more positive cocaine screens during treatment. Among men with depressive symptoms, integrated CBT but not DC was associated with fewer positive cocaine screens. Controlling for baseline alcohol variables, integrated CBT and depressive symptoms were each associated with less aggression outside of intimate relationships (family, strangers, etc.) during treatment. For men without depressive symptoms, integrated CBT was associated with less non-IPV aggression compared to DC. Effects were not significant for other substances, IPV, or at follow-up.

This study found some evidence for differential response to CBT by depressive symptoms on cocaine and aggression at end of treatment, which did not persist three months later. Future studies should explore mechanisms of integrated CBT for SUD and IPV, including mood regulation, on depressive symptoms in real-world samples.

Integrated CBT buffered depressive symptoms’ impact on cocaine use, yet only improved non-IPV aggression in men without depressive symptoms.

Although integrated CBT’s efficacy for improving SUD and IPV has been established, moderators of treatment response have not been investigated.

Research suggests that homework compliance within cognitive behavioral therapy is associated with treatment adherence and positive treatment outcomes through generalization of learned skills. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether there were differences in aggression and substance use between participants who did and did not complete therapy homework assignments.

Secondary analyses were conducted using data from Easton et al.’s (2017) randomized controlled trial of substance abuse domestic violence (SADV) treatment among substance dependent intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders. Analyses of covariance were conducted in order to determine whether homework completion had a significant effect on aggression and substance use. Correlational analyses were conducted to determine the association between quality of homework and outcomes.

Participants (n=63) who completed at least two homework assignments had fewer days of alcohol use during treatment compared to those who did not complete any assignments, p=0.03. There was not a difference in the number of days participants engaged in violence based on homework completion. Analyses indicated that those who displayed aggression proximal to alcohol use during treatment completed significantly fewer homework assignments compared to those who did not display aggression proximal to alcohol use (p=0.04).

This research was limited to a sample of male substance using offenders of IPV within the US additional research utilizing a larger sample size in order to investigate differences in homework completion across treatment groups is needed. Further analysis of the barriers to and predictors of homework compliance among this population is recommended.

This research highlights the need for incorporation of homework and further exploration of methods and treatment modalities to ensure homework compliance among substance using male offenders of IPV.

The purpose of this single-case experimental design paper is to examine the efficacy of the high-dosage Life Minus Violence – Enhanced (LMV-E) programme with a small sample of four violent women in custody. All participants were undertaking LMV-E as one component of their treatment pathway in an Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) treatment service for women with personality disorder. The methodology employed an AB baseline design with a six-month baseline period, nine-month treatment period and six-month follow-up. Levels of direct and indirect aggression were recorded throughout the baseline, intervention, and follow-up period. In the follow-up period, women were engaging in further treatment. Psychometric measures linked to treatment domains were used to explore clinically significant and reliable change following the intervention. Clinical and reliable change was indicated in some treatment domains for each participant following the intervention. The pattern of these reductions varied between the women. The patterns of findings are discussed and recommendations presented.

The methodology employed an AB baseline design with a six-month baseline period, nine-month treatment period and six-month follow-up. Levels of direct and indirect aggression were recorded throughout the baseline, intervention and follow-up period. In the follow-up period, women were engaging in further treatment. Psychometric measures linked to treatment domains were used to explore clinically significant and reliable change following the intervention.

Clinical and reliable change was indicated in some treatment domains for each participant following the intervention. The pattern of these reductions varied between the female offenders. The patterns of findings are discussed and recommendations presented.

The LMV-E programme was associated with some positive improvements in treatment domains measured in a small sample of female violent offenders. Improvements to some degree were most commonly found in the domains of anger, emotional control and components of criminal thinking. It would be clinically useful to examine characteristics of individuals that appear to benefit most from particular interventions.

There are no existing published findings related to the implementation of LMV-E with females. Therefore, this paper provides preliminary contribution to the evidence base in this area.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether aggression and substance use assessed during treatment differ based on risk level for substance-using male offenders of intimate partner violence (IPV).

Secondary analyses were conducted using data from Easton et al.’s (2017) study on substance-dependent IPV offenders. A cluster analysis was utilized in order to classify participants into typology groups. Analyses of covariance were conducted in order to determine group differences in aggression and substance use during treatment.

The paper provides results-related response to treatment based on offender typology. Results appear to reflect two typology groups with significant differences in psychopathy among groups. High-risk offenders demonstrated higher rates of violence throughout treatment compared to moderate- and low-risk offenders; however, no differences in substance use outcomes were found.

A limitation of the study is the extent to which the results can be generalized beyond substance using IPV offenders. Further investigation of treatment outcomes including alternate measures is needed in order to better translate theoretical typologies to clinical settings.

Results provide support for differentiating treatment for substance-using male offenders of IPV based on typology as those with low/moderate risk level appear to be distinctly different and have different treatment outcomes compared to high risk level offenders.

Although the relationship between risk level and treatment outcomes has been researched with Drug Court Offenders, treatment outcomes based on typology has not been evaluated among substance using male offenders of IPV.

This study aims to use pre‐treatment assessment scores to predict the drop out of 103 incarcerated male violent perpetrators undertaking a long‐term aggression programme, namely the Cognitive Self Change Programme (CSCP), in six English prisons. A hierarchy of best predictors of attrition in this sample is developed. Results found eight out of the 46 assessment variables analysed had a significant association with treatment drop out. Further to this, discriminant function analysis predicted group membership with 80% accuracy, successfully distinguishing perpetrators who dropped out of the programme from those who completed it. The findings support the use of identifying risk factors pre‐treatment to predict drop out and offer a practical way to identify group members who are likely to drop out of the CSCP in addition to identifying markers for programme improvement. The need for further research to increase our understanding of the underlying causal explanations that link specific assessment items to treatment dropout is discussed.

Interventions intended to aid offender re-entry, rehabilitation and desistence based around specific sports and championed by sporting institutions have been introduced in custodial settings. Though research evaluating these is positive (Meek, 2012), conclusions are often hampered by the absence of control groups in such work. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the Saracens “Get Onside” rugby-based intervention at HMP YOI Feltham, while employing a non-randomised control group.

In total, 24 young offenders took part. Those in the treatment condition experienced a ten-week course which included a range of activities leading to accredited awards, exercises in functional skills in literacy/numeracy and 72 hours of rugby sessions. Those in the control condition were matched on key static factors, crime attitudes and aggression. Self-reported measures of pro-crime attitudes, aggression, self-esteem, and impulsivity were taken once before the start, once during, and at the end of the course for both groups.

As predicted, self-reported scores measuring attitudes towards aggression and crime did differ significantly across groups, with those experiencing the intervention showing more positive values by the end of treatment compared with others. However, measures of impulsiveness and self-esteem showed no change.

Revisions are suggested in respect of both the self-esteem and impulsivity measures, and future work needs better control over the match between treatment and comparison groups.

Concerns over the potentially iatrogenic effects of contact sport interventions with offender groups may be misplaced, and the benefits of sporting interventions are replicated in a between groups design.

Alcohol‐related violence is a social phenomenon and a serious public health issue that features regularly in the headlines. This article describes a cognitive behavioural treatment programme designed to help angry, impulsive drinkers, typically young white men, to control their violence, and outlines research undertaken to assess the programme's effectiveness.