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[The impact of religiousness on the attitude towards aggression and on aggressive behavior in a forensic-psychiatric
Irina Franke1, Sabine Döringer2, Judith Streb2
1Universität Ulm, Klinik für Forensische Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie am BKH Günzburg; Psychiatrische Dienste Graubünden, Forensische Psychiatrie.
Aim Of Study:
According to previous research, religiousness might have a positive effect on the risk of delinquent behavior. This study aims to examine this correlation in a forensic-psychiatric inpatient sample. Furthermore, it compares self-reported aggression with the individuals' criminal history of violent offending.
Method:
The study sample consisted of 84 forensic patients in mandatory drug treatment according to section 64 of the German Penal Code. Religiousness and attitude towards aggressive behavior were assessed by self-report. The participants' criminal history was screened for violent offences.
Results:
In the male forensic-psychiatric inpatient sample, higher levels of religiousness correlated negatively with the attitude towards appetitive aggression, but not with aggressive behavior. In the female sample, no significant correlation was found.
Conclusion:
We found a gender difference regarding the correlation of religiousness with the attitude towards aggression. Additionally, our results indicated a discrepancy between self-report of aggression and actual behavior in the sample of forensic-psychiatric inpatients. This might be explained by cognitive distortions, poor self-perception, or planning deficits.
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