Erica Bowen

The new Domestic Abuse Act (2021) identifies children who live in a family where domestic violence is present as victims rather than witnesses. This is an important acknowledgement of the devastating impact such experiences may have on children and their development. However, although several negative consequences of domestic violence exposure during childhood have been identified, it is inaccurate to assume that all children who grow up in such circumstances inevitably will underdevelop, underperform, and underachieve. This chapter examines the developmental impact of domestic violence on children’s educational attainment and seeks to identify factors that may buffer against adverse outcomes, including the role that schools can play.

Hostage and crisis negotiation is one tactical option available to incident commanders when responding to critical incidents. Whilst several models of negotiation exist, there is limited research addressing negotiation from a United Kingdom perspective. This paper presents findings from semi-structured interviews with 15 negotiators from nine police forces in England. Data were analysed using grounded theory and 6 primary, 11 secondary, 19 tertiary, and 23 quaternary categories were identified to depict the procedural, operational and communicational aspects of negotiation. Findings indicate that negotiation takes place sequentially in three stages, with the core aspects being conceptualised using the D.I.A.M.O.N.D. mnemonic: 1) Deployment; 2) Information and intelligence gathering; 3) Assessment of risk and threat; 4) Methods of communication; 5) Open dialogue with subject; 6) Negotiator toolbox and repertoire, and 7) Debriefing procedures. The model represents the first attempt at modelling negotiation from an Anglo-centric perspective and provides insight into the entire critical incident management process, as opposed to focusing solely on the aspect of communication between negotiator and subject that has historically dominated the literature. The model highlights the breadth and complexity of the negotiator role and enables several recommendations to be made in relation to the training and operational support of negotiators.

Hostage and crisis negotiation is well established as a police tool, and there is a growing body of literature that provides academic insight into the phenomenon. Academics have developed a corpus of literature to explain the way negotiators operate or how they can resolve incidents successfully. Whilst research in this area has originated from various countries and addressed negotiation from a variety of perspectives, there is limited research that has focused specifically on negotiation from an Anglo‐centric perspective. This article presents the findings from a detailed academic examination of negotiator experiences in England, whereby semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 negotiators from nine forces. Analysis using grounded theory revealed 12 deployment categories, situated within a recurring context involving subjects experiencing personal, emotional, or psychological crisis. These categories can be used to enhance our understanding of negotiator deployment in England and are discussed with reference to the implications for negotiator training and practice.

Hostage and crisis negotiators serve a vital function within modern-day policing and can play a role in whether individuals live or die. As such, it is important for us to understand which police officers are more suited to this complex and challenging role, to ensure that the most effective negotiators are selected and trained. The current paper outlines the findings from interviews conducted with 15 negotiators from nine English police forces. Using a grounded theoretical approach, a conceptual model of the successful negotiator profile was developed comprising three primary and 19 secondary categories. The three primary categories consisted of: ‘Negotiator entry requirements’, ‘Negotiator attributes’, and ‘Negotiator skills’ which taken together, can be used to depict a profile of the successful hostage and crisis negotiator. The profile is discussed with reference to the potential implications for current hostage and crisis negotiator/police officer selection and training practices.

Desistance from crime has been of increasing interest within criminal justice literature, but desistance from offending behaviour whilst in custodial environments has not yet been investigated. Violence within prison establishments continues to be a significant problem; therefore, this study investigated the factors that are associated with desistance from custodial violence in 63 UK Category C adult male prisoners with a record of violence in prison. Participants completed measures of eight social and subjective factors associated with desistance in community samples. Those who had desisted from prison violence for 12 months or more showed greater levels of pro-social attitudes, agency and resilience than those who persisted in violence. Agency independently predicted desistance and this was particularly the case for younger offenders. Internal shifts appeared to be supported by a positive work environment. It is concluded that in custody an internal shift in perspective is especially important for desistance, and that this can be supported by the social environment. Opportunities to intervene may be greater in younger prisoners. It is recommended that current initiatives in developing agency and positive social interaction, such as Psychologically Informed Planned Environments, are further developed.