Hetero- and auto-aggressive prisoner behavior within the Romanian juvenile prison system

摘要

As far as the specialized literature is concerned, the findings of this research are somewhat unusual: within the juvenile prison population, Roma react differently to the motivational incentives aiming to encourage their social change. While they are more motivated towards change-being also the most awarded in prisons-Roma inmates present at the same time the highest risk for serf harm. Our empirical analysis reveals that, inside the Romanian correctional system, Roma minors behave ambivalently: on the one hand, they seem open to change according to the social values of the majority; on the other, they are subjected to the fragile balance of trade-offs between internal cues and external reality: the need of care and attention or the need to punish oneself is more imperious than any safeguards put in place. Here the cultural variable plays a key motivational role in the construction of a socially acceptable identity, and in reducing the persistent instability of these people's self-image and /or worthlessness. Another major risk factor entailed by self/ hetero aggressive behavior inside prisons stressed by this research is the aggressiveness and "cruelty" component of the act for which he/she was sentenced. The aggressiveness as driving force becomes a risk factor for the safety of the inmate / inmates. The research shows that people who have been convicted for violent acts are more likely to adopt a similar behavior within the prison environment.