Skip to main content
ABCT 2023 Annual Convention Main banner
Final Program


Program Flipbook
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
Ticketed Session
Ticketed Session
Recorded Session
Recorded Session

Violence / Aggression

Quality of Life and Social Support as Risk and Protective Factors for Aggression and Violence among Prisoners

(PS12-C59) Quality of Life and Social Support as Risk and Protective Factors for Aggression and Violence Among Prisoners

Saturday, November 18, 2023
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM PST
Location: Regency Ballroom, Level 7
Incarceration rates in the United States are high, and violence and mental health issues are prevalent among the prison population. Thus, there is a need to identify variables that affect the mental health of this population. The effects of social support and quality of life on mental health have been studied outside of prison populations. It is unclear, however, if similar effects occur among the prison population, and knowledge of these effects is needed to improve interventions within correctional facilities. The purpose of the current project was to test if perceived social support moderates the relationship between perceived quality of life (QoL) and two outcomes: 1) aggression, and 2) violence perpetration among prisoners. It was hypothesized that lower levels of physical, psychological, environmental and/or social QoL would be associated with higher levels of aggression and violence perpetration. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that perceived social support would moderate the relationship between the different types of QoL and aggression and violence perpetration. In a cross-sectional study, 270 male inmate participants completed surveys that assessed aggression, violence perpetration, QoL, social support, and demographics. The sample was 59.9% Black, 30.1% White, with an average age of 37.7. Significant relationships were found between aggression and: 1) physical QoL (r = -.38, p < .01) and psychological QoL (r = -.24, p < .01). Significant relationships also were found between psychological QoL and violence perpetration (r = -.37, p < .01). Social support moderated these relationships. The results suggest that higher social support was protective against both aggression and violence perpetration for those who experienced low physical and psychological QoL during incarceration. Social support appeared to be “vulnerable-stable,” i.e., when levels of social support were low, QoL was significantly associated with violence perpetration and aggression. However, when social support is high, the relationship between QoL and violence perpetration and aggression remained stable despite the changing levels of QoL (Luthar et al., 2000). These findings further demonstrate the need for interventions within correctional facilities and highlight the importance of incorporating social support into these interventions.