Citation

Loeffler CH, Prelog AJ, Unnithan NP, Pogrebin MR. Int. J. Offender Ther. Comp. Criminol. 2010; 54(4): 517-536.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0306624X09337592

PMID

19520901

Abstract

Offender rehabilitation, pitting the rational ability of criminal justice against the seeming irrationality of criminal behavior, remains controversial. Psychology highlights the importance of emotions in mediating individual behavior. Borrowing from restorative justice as a more emotionally intelligent form of justice, this article examines the role of shame and guilt in a domestic violence offender treatment program. The emotions are differentiated and then activated, similar to the use of reintegrative shaming in restorative justice, to promote greater offender accountability and empathy. Using a two-group comparison of male domestic violence offenders, measurements were taken on three sets of scales in assessing the outcome of the shame transformation process. Statistically significant effects were found for self-esteem and empathetic concern. Findings and future research are discussed.

Language: en