Citation

Holdsworth E, Bowen E, Brown S, Howat D. Int. J. Offender Ther. Comp. Criminol. 2016; 61(13): 1479-1499.

Affiliation

Coventry University, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0306624X15624177

PMID

26769679

Abstract

Offender engagement in group offending behavior programs is poorly understood and under-theorized. In addition, there is no research on facilitators' engagement. This article presents the first ever theory to address this gap. A Program Engagement Theory (PET) was derived from a constructivist grounded theory analysis that accounts for both facilitators' and offenders' engagement in group offending behavior programs (GOBPs). Interviews and session observations were used to collect data from 23 program facilitators and 28 offenders (group members). The analysis revealed that group members' engagement involved shared identities and moving on as a group. In turn, this was dependent on facilitators personalising treatment frameworks and establishing a hook to help group members move on. The PET emphasizes the importance of considering change during treatment as a process rather than simply a program outcome. Solution-focused (SF) programs were more conducive to engagement and the change process than offence-focused programs.

Language: en