Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

AO1 Knowledge + Questions from previous Past Papers (Q) + Essays (E)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

- Treatment options that help offenders develop insights into their thoughts + feelings > how this influences their behavior

• Based on idea > every situation we experience > we have thoughts (cognitive) about the situation

• Also, have emotional reaction > thoughts influence our behavior + how we react to situations

Cognitive deficits in offenders

• Self Control - Problems with impulsive behaviour

• Cognitive Style - Individuals may lack empathy + difficulty with abstract social concepts > hard to understand principles of social injustice

• Social Perspective Taking - Egocentric offenders > unable to see others perspective + fail to understand they should consider other people.

• Critical Reasoning - Offenders may think irrational > avoid self analysis

• Allows them to justify what they do - blaming others rather than taking responsibility

Types of CBT programs

1. ETS (Enhanced Thinking Skills)

   - Inmates/Offender on probation > attend 20 two-hour ETS group work session (compulsory)

   - Aim: Think before act

   - Group exercise + role play > demonstrates value of stopping + thinking > help understand consequences

2. R&R (Reasoning + Rehabilitation)

   - Groups of 6 offenders > attend a sequence of session > building on previous learning

   - Based on premise offenders are > typically under-socialised, lacking values, attitudes, reason + socials skills acquired

Three Components to CBT

- Cognitive Reconstructing: to identify + modify thought patterns by challenging automatic negative thoughts replacing them with rational ones

- Dysfunctional Thought Diary: helps with client identity + address common negative thought patterns, happens outside of therapy

- Pleasant Activity Scheduling: foster positive emotions + counteract negative thinking patterns > client should plan an activity that is enjoyable for everyday

Cognitive Behavioural Treatment - Strength

- Hollin et al - review treatments in England + Wales > found male offenders in treatment groups reoffended less than in controls

- Some studies found > ETS + R&R to be effective > others find a greater benefit > with one treatment

• Cann et al - found ETS was effective > but R&R wasn’t

- In meta analysis > of 20 groups orientated CBT research studies > CBT was found to reduce recidivism up to 30% > more than control group who didn’t receive CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Treatment - Weakness

- CBT focuses on the present > not past with counselling > it is not a form of counselling = doesn’t focus on overcoming emotional reactions to difficulties in the past

- CBT doesn’t work immediately + it required commitment from offender > for it to be effective

- Has found to be more effective > high + medium risk offenders > rather than low risk offenders

• Cann et al - found although re-conviction rates were lower for high risk male offender after one year > advantage had been lost two years post release from prison

- Found that CBT programs haven’t reduced recidivism in females

• could be due to the fact > program designed for me/most female offenders are low risk

Shukura works as a therapist with offenders. She has a new client, Adam, who is convicted of theft from shops. Adam finds it hard to admit that he has done anything wrong, he thinks stealing from shops does not cause any harm. He has struggled to get a job that pays enough money to feed his family, and believes this is not his fault. Adam says he needs to steal to have money for his hobbies. Shukura decides to use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with Adam.

(Q) Give one strength of Shukura using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with Adam. (1)

- CBT will help Adam understand the impact his stealing has on others to change his thinking patterns/processes about theft so has long-term benefits. (1)

(Q) Explain two weaknesses of Shukura using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with Adam. (2)

- Cognitive behavioural therapy does not look at the wider issues affecting Adam, such as the lack of well-paid work (1) if this issue is not addressed then the therapy may not be effective as money may still be a problem (1).

- If Adam thinks stealing is not wrong then he will not be active in his therapy (1) therefore he may not be willing to change his behaviour, which reduces the effectiveness so he will carry on stealing (1).

When Lucy was young, her parents often told her that she was naughty. She then began stealing from an early age. Lucy has recently been arrested for burglary for the third time. The police have warned her that she may be sent to prison. Her older brother told Lucy that going to prison was no surprise as he had always said she was unlikely to be successful in life.

(Q) Describe how cognitive behavioural therapy could be used to help Lucy change her behaviour.(3)

- A therapist will help Lucy to understand how her faulty and negative thought processes may have led her to think that stealing is acceptable (1).

- The therapist can then help Lucy identify the maladaptive thoughts she has about how stealing helps her achieve success in life (1)

- and then enable her to develop alternative behaviour responses to her thoughts to reduce re-offending so Lucy stops committing burglary (1)

(Q) Define cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a treatment for offenders. (1)

- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help offenders manage their antisocial behaviour by changing the way they think and behave (1).

(Q) State one strength of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a treatment for offenders. (1)

- Lipsey et al (2007) found that CBT reduced recidivism (1)

Sonya works in a prison where she uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to treat offenders. She is currently treating a prisoner who had taken a car for a drive without the owner’s consent. The prisoner showed no remorse for crashing the car as they felt that it did not matter as the insurance company would pay for any damage to the car. Sonya hopes that by treating the prisoner with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) the prisoner will not reoffend once they have been released from prison.

(Q) Explain one strength of Sonya using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to treat the prisoner

- The meta-analysis by Lipsey et al. (2007) found that cognitive behavioural therapy does reduce reoffending rates so it would help the prisoner that Sonya is treating and stop them stealing cars (1),

- as they found that those who had cognitive behavioural therapy were 1.53 times less likely to reoffend after 12 months, so Sonya’s offender is less likely to take another car without the owner’s consent (1).

(Q) Evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a therapy for offenders. (8) AO1

- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) aims to change thought processes that underpin behaviour and actions of offenders.

- CBT requires commitment by the offender to complete the tasks such as homework and reflective diaries about their thoughts.

- CBT is a therapy that can be continued by the offender once the therapy sessions are complete giving them self-help strategies.

- During therapy the offenders may undertake role play to act out scenarios where they could offend in order to find alternative ways to manage a situation.

(Q) Evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a therapy for offenders. (8) AO3

- Changing thought processes may not be effective where the cause of offending behaviour is anti-social personality disorder.

- Offenders may want to change their behaviour to rehabilitate themselves and prevent recidivism, so CBT would be an effective therapy.

- Lipsey (2009) analysed 548 studies and found CBT was more effective in reducing further criminal behaviour than other interventions.

- Howells et al. (2005) found CBT did not significantly reduce aggression in offenders, so it may not be effective for violent crimes like assault.