Emma Sleath | Coventry University (original) (raw)
Papers by Emma Sleath
Telephone number: +44(0)2477 659523. Fax number: +44(0)2476 887688
International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, Jan 29, 2015
The transition from persistence to desistance in male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (... more The transition from persistence to desistance in male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) is an understudied phenomenon. This article examines the factors that initiate and facilitate primary desistance from IPV. The narratives of 22 male perpetrators of IPV (13 desisters and 9 persisters), 7 female survivors, and 9 programme (IPV interventions) facilitators, in England, were analysed using thematic analysis. In their accounts, the participants described how the change from persister to desister did not happen as a result of discrete unique incidents but instead occurred through a number of catalysts or stimuli of change. These triggers were experienced gradually and accumulated over time in number and in type. In particular, Negative consequences of violence and Negative emotional responses needed to accumulate so that the Point of resolve: Autonomous decision to change was finally realised. This process facilitated and initiated the path of change and thus primary desi...
Journal of Family Violence, 2015
ABSTRACT It is well established that personality pathology has been associated with the onset and... more ABSTRACT It is well established that personality pathology has been associated with the onset and continued perpetration of intimate partner violence, yet if and how this relates to the cessation of such behaviours remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether personality pathology differentiated 37 intimate partner violent men who had suspended the use of violence against their intimates (‘desisters’), 50 persisters, and 49 non-violent controls using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III subscales. Cluster A and Cluster B disorders at a diagnostic level were more often reported in men who had used violence against intimates compared to men in the control group. The rates and percentages of clinically meaningful traits and disorders were lower for the desisters than the persisters, with the desisters more like the controls than the persisters. The findings suggest that the initial stage of the desistance process may be related to personality pathology.
Violence and victims, 2015
A common perception is that police officers hold very negative attitudes about rape victims. Ther... more A common perception is that police officers hold very negative attitudes about rape victims. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to establish whether police officers do accept stereotypical rape myths at a higher level compared to members of other populations. There were 3 comparison samples, composed of police officers, law students, and psychology students, that completed the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance scale. Male and female police officers accepted "she lied" myths at a higher level than the student samples. Student samples were found to accept 2 types of rape myths ("she asked for it" and "he didn't meant to") at a higher level compared to police officers. No significant differences were found in the other 4 subfactors. Therefore, the pattern of results suggests that police officers do not adhere to stereotypical myths about rape victims more than do other populations.
Journal of interpersonal violence, Jan 13, 2014
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an international issue that social and criminal justice worker... more Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an international issue that social and criminal justice workers will encounter regularly. It has been identified that men can, and do stop using, or desist from, IPV although it is unclear how this process of change develops. This article introduces a conceptual model to outline how the process of desistance evolves and what it encompasses. Using thematic analysis of interview data from partner-violent men, survivors, and treatment facilitators, the resulting model demonstrates that the process of change is a dynamic one where men's use of, and cessation from, violence needs to be understood within the context of each individual's life. Three global themes were developed: (a) lifestyle behaviors (violent): what is happening in the men's lives when they use violence; (b) catalysts for change: the triggers and transitions required to initiate the process of change; and (c) lifestyle behaviors (non-violent): what is different in the men...
European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 2014
Background: The inter-generational transmission of violence (ITV) hypothesis and polyvictimisatio... more Background: The inter-generational transmission of violence (ITV) hypothesis and polyvictimisation have been studied extensively. The extant evidence suggests that individuals from violent families are at increased risk of subsequent intimate partner violence (IPV) and that a proportion of individuals experience victimisation across multiple rather than single IPV domains. Both ITV and polyvictimisation are shown to increase the risk of psychiatric morbidity, alcohol use, and anger expression. Objective: The current study aimed to 1) ascertain if underlying typologies of victimisation across the lifecourse and over multiple victimisation domains were present and 2) ascertain if groupings differed on mean scores of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. Method: University students (N0318) were queried in relation to victimisation experiences and psychological well-being. Responses across multiple domains of IPV spanning the life-course were used in a latent profile analysis. ANOVA was subsequently used to determine if profiles differed in their mean scores on PTSD, depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. Results: Three distinct profiles were identified; one of which comprised individuals who experienced ''life-course polyvictimisation,'' another showing individuals who experienced ''witnessing parental victimisation,'' and one which experienced ''psychological victimisation only.'' Life-course polyvictims scored the highest across most assessed measures. Conclusion: Witnessing severe physical aggression and injury in parental relationships as a child has an interesting impact on the ITV into adolescence and adulthood. Life-course polyvictims are shown to experience increased levels of psychiatric morbidity and issues with alcohol misuse and anger expression.
International Journal of Police Science & Management, 2011
Psychology, Crime & Law, 2013
There is a general belief that stranger stalkers present the greatest threat to the personal safe... more There is a general belief that stranger stalkers present the greatest threat to the personal safety of victims, despite national victimisation surveys and applied research demonstrating that ex-partner stalkers are generally more persistent and violent. The just world hypothesis offers a possible explanation for this apparent contradiction. The current research used nine hypothetical scenarios, administered to 328 university students, to investigate the assumptions that underlie attributions of responsibility in cases of stalking. It explores whether these assumptions are consistent with the proposed mechanisms of the just world hypothesis, and whether they vary according to the nature of perpetrator-victim relationship and conduct severity. Thematic analysis revealed that the victim was perceived to be more responsible for the situation when the perpetrator was portrayed as an ex-partner rather than a stranger or acquaintance.
Psychology, Crime & Law, 2014
The aim of this study was to examine expectations about victim and offender behaviours during str... more The aim of this study was to examine expectations about victim and offender behaviours during stranger rape. These expectations were compared with the empirically derived data of actual victim and offender behaviours. Furthermore, three attitudes/beliefs were assessed in relation to these expectations: rape myth acceptance, gender role attitudes, and belief in a just world. Seven hundred and fifty eight undergraduates took part in the study. The results show that participants significantly overestimated the frequency of 29 out of the 30 victim and offender behaviours examined (one behaviour was underestimated). An inconsistent relationship was found in predicting the expectancies via rape myth acceptance, gender role attitudes, and belief in a just world. These findings are examined in the context of the criminal justice system and how expectancy violation may affect the perception of rape victim and offenders' behaviours.
Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2014
Aggressive Behavior, 2011
Previous research has found that drinking establishments are often antecedent to sexual aggressio... more Previous research has found that drinking establishments are often antecedent to sexual aggression outcomes. In the present study, male participants were randomly selected from public houses (i.e., "pubs") and asked to imagine themselves in a hypothetical intimate encounter in which the female in the scenario stops consenting to sexual contact.
One of four possible vignettes manipulated by (i) level of rape myth contained within them (low v... more One of four possible vignettes manipulated by (i) level of rape myth contained within them (low vs. high) and (ii) type of rape (stranger vs. acquaintance) were presented to participants followed by scales measuring victim blame, perpetrator blame, belief in a just world, sex role egalitarian beliefs and male rape myth acceptance. Victim blaming was predicted by male rape myth acceptance. Perpetrator blaming was predicted by male rape myth acceptance and sex role egalitarianism. Differences were found in victim and perpetrator blaming in terms of stranger and acquaintance rape and also in relation to manipulating the level of rape myths. Findings are discussed in relation to the previous literature on rape victim and perpetrator blaming.
Telephone number: +44(0)2477 659523. Fax number: +44(0)2476 887688
International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, Jan 29, 2015
The transition from persistence to desistance in male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (... more The transition from persistence to desistance in male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) is an understudied phenomenon. This article examines the factors that initiate and facilitate primary desistance from IPV. The narratives of 22 male perpetrators of IPV (13 desisters and 9 persisters), 7 female survivors, and 9 programme (IPV interventions) facilitators, in England, were analysed using thematic analysis. In their accounts, the participants described how the change from persister to desister did not happen as a result of discrete unique incidents but instead occurred through a number of catalysts or stimuli of change. These triggers were experienced gradually and accumulated over time in number and in type. In particular, Negative consequences of violence and Negative emotional responses needed to accumulate so that the Point of resolve: Autonomous decision to change was finally realised. This process facilitated and initiated the path of change and thus primary desi...
Journal of Family Violence, 2015
ABSTRACT It is well established that personality pathology has been associated with the onset and... more ABSTRACT It is well established that personality pathology has been associated with the onset and continued perpetration of intimate partner violence, yet if and how this relates to the cessation of such behaviours remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether personality pathology differentiated 37 intimate partner violent men who had suspended the use of violence against their intimates (‘desisters’), 50 persisters, and 49 non-violent controls using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III subscales. Cluster A and Cluster B disorders at a diagnostic level were more often reported in men who had used violence against intimates compared to men in the control group. The rates and percentages of clinically meaningful traits and disorders were lower for the desisters than the persisters, with the desisters more like the controls than the persisters. The findings suggest that the initial stage of the desistance process may be related to personality pathology.
Violence and victims, 2015
A common perception is that police officers hold very negative attitudes about rape victims. Ther... more A common perception is that police officers hold very negative attitudes about rape victims. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to establish whether police officers do accept stereotypical rape myths at a higher level compared to members of other populations. There were 3 comparison samples, composed of police officers, law students, and psychology students, that completed the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance scale. Male and female police officers accepted "she lied" myths at a higher level than the student samples. Student samples were found to accept 2 types of rape myths ("she asked for it" and "he didn't meant to") at a higher level compared to police officers. No significant differences were found in the other 4 subfactors. Therefore, the pattern of results suggests that police officers do not adhere to stereotypical myths about rape victims more than do other populations.
Journal of interpersonal violence, Jan 13, 2014
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an international issue that social and criminal justice worker... more Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an international issue that social and criminal justice workers will encounter regularly. It has been identified that men can, and do stop using, or desist from, IPV although it is unclear how this process of change develops. This article introduces a conceptual model to outline how the process of desistance evolves and what it encompasses. Using thematic analysis of interview data from partner-violent men, survivors, and treatment facilitators, the resulting model demonstrates that the process of change is a dynamic one where men's use of, and cessation from, violence needs to be understood within the context of each individual's life. Three global themes were developed: (a) lifestyle behaviors (violent): what is happening in the men's lives when they use violence; (b) catalysts for change: the triggers and transitions required to initiate the process of change; and (c) lifestyle behaviors (non-violent): what is different in the men...
European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 2014
Background: The inter-generational transmission of violence (ITV) hypothesis and polyvictimisatio... more Background: The inter-generational transmission of violence (ITV) hypothesis and polyvictimisation have been studied extensively. The extant evidence suggests that individuals from violent families are at increased risk of subsequent intimate partner violence (IPV) and that a proportion of individuals experience victimisation across multiple rather than single IPV domains. Both ITV and polyvictimisation are shown to increase the risk of psychiatric morbidity, alcohol use, and anger expression. Objective: The current study aimed to 1) ascertain if underlying typologies of victimisation across the lifecourse and over multiple victimisation domains were present and 2) ascertain if groupings differed on mean scores of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. Method: University students (N0318) were queried in relation to victimisation experiences and psychological well-being. Responses across multiple domains of IPV spanning the life-course were used in a latent profile analysis. ANOVA was subsequently used to determine if profiles differed in their mean scores on PTSD, depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. Results: Three distinct profiles were identified; one of which comprised individuals who experienced ''life-course polyvictimisation,'' another showing individuals who experienced ''witnessing parental victimisation,'' and one which experienced ''psychological victimisation only.'' Life-course polyvictims scored the highest across most assessed measures. Conclusion: Witnessing severe physical aggression and injury in parental relationships as a child has an interesting impact on the ITV into adolescence and adulthood. Life-course polyvictims are shown to experience increased levels of psychiatric morbidity and issues with alcohol misuse and anger expression.
International Journal of Police Science & Management, 2011
Psychology, Crime & Law, 2013
There is a general belief that stranger stalkers present the greatest threat to the personal safe... more There is a general belief that stranger stalkers present the greatest threat to the personal safety of victims, despite national victimisation surveys and applied research demonstrating that ex-partner stalkers are generally more persistent and violent. The just world hypothesis offers a possible explanation for this apparent contradiction. The current research used nine hypothetical scenarios, administered to 328 university students, to investigate the assumptions that underlie attributions of responsibility in cases of stalking. It explores whether these assumptions are consistent with the proposed mechanisms of the just world hypothesis, and whether they vary according to the nature of perpetrator-victim relationship and conduct severity. Thematic analysis revealed that the victim was perceived to be more responsible for the situation when the perpetrator was portrayed as an ex-partner rather than a stranger or acquaintance.
Psychology, Crime & Law, 2014
The aim of this study was to examine expectations about victim and offender behaviours during str... more The aim of this study was to examine expectations about victim and offender behaviours during stranger rape. These expectations were compared with the empirically derived data of actual victim and offender behaviours. Furthermore, three attitudes/beliefs were assessed in relation to these expectations: rape myth acceptance, gender role attitudes, and belief in a just world. Seven hundred and fifty eight undergraduates took part in the study. The results show that participants significantly overestimated the frequency of 29 out of the 30 victim and offender behaviours examined (one behaviour was underestimated). An inconsistent relationship was found in predicting the expectancies via rape myth acceptance, gender role attitudes, and belief in a just world. These findings are examined in the context of the criminal justice system and how expectancy violation may affect the perception of rape victim and offenders' behaviours.
Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2014
Aggressive Behavior, 2011
Previous research has found that drinking establishments are often antecedent to sexual aggressio... more Previous research has found that drinking establishments are often antecedent to sexual aggression outcomes. In the present study, male participants were randomly selected from public houses (i.e., "pubs") and asked to imagine themselves in a hypothetical intimate encounter in which the female in the scenario stops consenting to sexual contact.
One of four possible vignettes manipulated by (i) level of rape myth contained within them (low v... more One of four possible vignettes manipulated by (i) level of rape myth contained within them (low vs. high) and (ii) type of rape (stranger vs. acquaintance) were presented to participants followed by scales measuring victim blame, perpetrator blame, belief in a just world, sex role egalitarian beliefs and male rape myth acceptance. Victim blaming was predicted by male rape myth acceptance. Perpetrator blaming was predicted by male rape myth acceptance and sex role egalitarianism. Differences were found in victim and perpetrator blaming in terms of stranger and acquaintance rape and also in relation to manipulating the level of rape myths. Findings are discussed in relation to the previous literature on rape victim and perpetrator blaming.