Research Commons
      • Browse 
        • Communities & Collections
        • Titles
        • Authors
        • By Issue Date
        • Subjects
        • Types
        • Series
      • Help 
        • About
        • Collection Policy
        • OA Mandate Guidelines
        • Guidelines FAQ
        • Contact Us
      • My Account 
        • Sign In
        • Register
      View Item 
      •   Research Commons
      • University of Waikato Theses
      • Masters Degree Theses
      • View Item
      •   Research Commons
      • University of Waikato Theses
      • Masters Degree Theses
      • View Item
      JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

      Acute Assessment of Aggression: Using the Dynamic Appraisal of Situational Aggression (DASA) with New Zealand Offenders

      Lang, Veronika
      Thumbnail
      Files
      thesis.pdf
      1.468Mb
      Citation
      Export citation
      Lang, V. (2015). Acute Assessment of Aggression: Using the Dynamic Appraisal of Situational Aggression (DASA) with New Zealand Offenders (Thesis, Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)). University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/9896
      Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/9896
      Abstract
      Institutional violence in prisons and other corrections settings is a hazard to the security and wellbeing of staff and other offenders. However, the ability to systematically assess for acute, day-to-day aggression in these settings has not been widely developed. Staff assessing aggression in institutional settings ought to use risk assessment measures to aid professional judgement, and this research suggests a need for dynamic, acute risk assessment for aggression amongst New Zealand offenders. The Dynamic Appraisal of Situational Aggression (DASA; Ogloff & Daffern, 2006) was created originally for use amongst psychiatric inpatients. This research aimed to evaluate the use of the DASA for custodial staff in acute risk assessment and offender treatment in different prison units for its potential to fill this niche.

      Predictive accuracy of the measure in relation to aggressive behaviour was examined, and custodial staff were surveyed on the ease of administration, their perception of the measure’s effectiveness with their unit, and whether its addition improved offender management. Staff consisted of prison officers and a principle correctional officer in each of the three prison-based units, and custodial management staff at Tai Aroha. These staff nominated offenders (N = 19) on agreement of them being of highest management concern.

      Results found the DASA to demonstrate moderate predictive validity, with survival analyses showing high scores on the DASA were associated with highly aggressive offenders. Most staff identified the DASA as assisting in identifying those offenders that were a high risk for aggression. Implications for practice in corrections settings are discussed.
      Date
      2015
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Name
      Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)
      Supervisors
      Tamatea, Armon J.
      Publisher
      University of Waikato
      Rights
      All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
      Collections
      • Masters Degree Theses [2381]
      Show full item record  

      Usage

      Downloads, last 12 months
      151
       
       

      Usage Statistics

      For this itemFor all of Research Commons

      The University of Waikato - Te Whare Wānanga o WaikatoFeedback and RequestsCopyright and Legal Statement