Human of Institutional Aggression

Institutional aggression may occur within groups or institutions, such as the armed forces, prisons or mental institutions, or between different groups.

A survey of NHS trusts in the UK reported ober 84,000 violent or abusive incidents against staff in 2000/01 (Department of Health, 2002)

Over 26,000 reported prisoner-prisoner assults in US prisons, resulting in 83 deaths (Wortley, 2002).

Interpersonal factors. Irwin and Cressey (1962).

Irwin and Cressey claim that prisoners bring their own social histories and traits with them into prison and this influences their adaptation to the prison environement. Irwin and Creseey argue that prisoners are not 'blank slates' when they enter prison, and that many of the normative systems developed on the outside would be 'imported' into prison.

Many prisoners have mental health and/or alcohol problems which also lead to higher levels of aggression, both in and out of prison.


Convicts have social norms that effect levels of aggression: convicts seek positions of power within the system. They are more likely to have been influenced by deprivation prior to imprisonment and they import these 'gang' or 'yob' values into the prison environment.

Situational factors. Sykes (1958)

Behaviour is a response to subculture, pains and deprivations of imprisonment, eg. loss of liberty, power, security, independence etc. Because of these deprivations, some inmates act aggressively in order to reduce stress and obtain desired resources and gain some control over their life. (Sykes).

This model argues that prisoner or patient aggression is the product of the stressful and oppressive conditions of the institution istelf. These include crowding, assumed to increased fear and frustration levels, and staff experience. (Paterline and Peterson (1999))

Hodgkinson et al (1985) found that trainee nurses are more likely to suffer violent assault than experienced nurses.

In the prison setting, length of service was a significant factor, with more experienced officers being less likely to suffer assault (Davies and Burgess).

Total Institution: A place where the same people work, play, eat, sleep and recreate together on a continuous basis. Used to describe prisons and the like (Goffman)

Inmate Subculture: the habits, customs, values, beliefs, morals or superstitions of the body of inmates incarcerated in correctional institutions; also, the inmate social world.

Prisonization: the process by which inmates adapt to prison society; the taking on of the ways, customs, morals and general culture of penitentiary (prison for those convicted of serious crimes).

Prison Code: a set of norms and values among prison inmates which defines (for inmates) the image of the 'model prisoner'. It is generally antagonistic to the official administration.

'Right guy': upholder of inmate values.
'Punk': passive homosexual.
'Hustler': entrepreneur, supplies goods and services
'Square John;: non-criminal self concept
'Rat': squeals or sells out to authorities.

The integration model merges the ideas of the importation and deprivation models (interpersonal and environmental factors). It is now widely accepted as a better explanation of prison aggression than either of the models separately.

It includes factors such as attitude (subculture); age (youth, machismo, identity); race (convict code, gangs)

The popcorn model of institutional aggression says that a good environment will prevent 'heat' from 'popping the first piece of corn' (ie. causing the fisrt act of aggression which may then lead to other acts of aggression). (Folger and Skarlicki, 1995)