Percorrer por autor "Cunha, Olga"

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    Attitudes of Police recruits towards offenders : the impact of the Police training on attitudinal change
    (Springer Verlag, 2022-03) Cunha, Olga; Carvalho, Filipa; de Castro Rodrigues, Andreia; Cruz, Ana Rita; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    The traditional prevailing perspectives on attitudes assume that attitudes, once formed, are relatively stable over time. However, research has revealed that attitudes may be influenced by different factors that may change them. The present pre-post-test study aims to understand if the police recruits’ attitudes towards offenders change after police training and analyse the impact of sociodemographic and personality variables on recruits’ attitudes towards offenders. The Attitude Scale towards Offenders (ATO) and the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory were used in a sample of 74 recruits of a Portuguese Police Force at the beginning and the end of the police training program. Results revealed that, at the end of the training, recruits hold more negative attitudes towards offenders. Those who had previous professional experience in the army hold more positive attitudes, but only at the beginning of the training. Only attitudes towards offenders at the beginning of the police training program predict recruits’ attitudes towards offenders at the end of the training. These results emphasize the importance of initial and continuous training of recruits and police officers.
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    Community sanctions : offenders’ perceptions about their appropriateness
    (SAGE Publications Ltd, 2021-08) Andrade, Joana; Cruz, Ana Rita; Cunha, Olga; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Rodrigues, Andreia Castro; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    This study analyzed offenders’ perceptions about distinct sanctions and their adequacy for different crimes, checking if these ideas apply to their crime. We covered a total of 163 adult offenders who were sanctioned with a non-custodial order. The results show that participants tended to express a punitive attitude toward crime, apart from their offenses. Participants who committed driving or drug trafficking offenses were those that revealed congruence regarding the adequacy of the sentence and the usefulness of the sanction imposed. Regarding sentences’ purposes, we noticed most participants considered punishment and general deterrence as the primary purposes. The main contribution of this study lies in its educational value about the cognitive particularities and specific needs of each type of offender. Not attending to offenders’ perceptions regarding sanctions may function as an obstacle for an efficient implementation of the Justice, in terms of their adherence to the sanctions, and consequently their rehabilitation.
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    Couples therapy in cases of situational intimate partner violence : translation and cultural adaptation of an intervention program for couples
    (European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL) Annual Conference 2024, 2024-07) Cunha, Olga; Faria, Sofia; Pinto, Ana; Santiago, João; Machado, Andreia; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is recognized as pervasive public health problem. IPV has been conceptualized from a dichotomous perspective - in which men are the perpetrators and women the victims. Recently, different typologies of violence have emerged, emphasizing the dyad and demonstrating other patterns than unidirectional ones. However, research, practices, and public policies have been dominated by a dichotomous perspective and little attention has been given to the dyads and the relationship dynamics involved in IPV. Besides, there is a greater understanding that interventions would be more beneficial if they incorporate a broader understanding of the IPV and target both partners. Couples’ therapy seems to be an effective way to address the dysfunctional relationship dynamics providing an alternative model to deal with situational IPV. An example of an effective couples’ treatment program in reducing IPV is the Domestic Violence Focused Conjoint Treatment (DVFCT). In Portugal, national practices are still shaped by the prevailing one-side approach and no response exists for couples who stay together after/during IPV. This project aims to translate and culturally adapt the DVFCT - a manualized intervention program based on solution-focused brief therapy. The program aims to reduce all forms of violence; enhance positive affect between partners; and assist partners in taking responsibility for their own behavior. The adaptation will comprise different phases: (a) information gathering, (b) preliminary adaptation design, (c) preliminary adaptation tests, and (d) adaptation refinement. Throughout all phases, it is important to gain insight from local providers and clients to make adaptations based on the needs of the community. We expect to have a valuable and reliable intervention program tailored to Portuguese couples who experience situational IPV.
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    Intimate partner violence : perceptions and attributions of male perpetrators
    (Routledge, 2024) Cunha, Olga; Pereira, Bárbara; Cruz, Ana Rita; Gonçalves, Rui; de Castro Rodrigues, Andreia; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    There are many reasons to perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV). This study analyzes the attributions and perceptions of Portuguese men who perpetrate IPV to understand their justifications for violence against their female partners. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven male perpetrators. Through thematic analysis, three main categories emerged: self, partner, and situational factors. Perpetrators identified self attributes as justifications to abuse, such as individual characteristics, emotional disturbances, and jealousy; partner attributes, such as partners’ characteristics and the use of violence against them; and situational factors, such as alcohol abuse and relational stressors. Perpetrators’ narratives evidenced a tendency to conceive violence as an unintentional and unplanned action, attributing violence to uncontrollable factors, and an attitude of non-accountability for their behaviors/actions. A deeper understanding of perpetrators’ perceptions and attributions for IPV will help to develop more effective intervention programs with offenders or to improve the existent ones, for example, in terms of dropout prevention, to reduce violence against women.
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    Intimate partner violence, psychopathy, and recidivism : do psychopathic traits differentiate first-time offenders from repeated offenders?
    (Routledge, 2022) Cunha, Olga; Pinheiro, Marina; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    The current study analyzes the relation between psychopathic traits and the four facets of psychopathy (i.e., interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial) and general and intimate partner violence (IPV) recidivism. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Marital Violence Inventory (IVC) were completed by a sample of 279 male perpetrators of IPV who were retrospectively classified as general repeated offenders versus first-time offenders and IPV repeated-offenders versus IPV first-time offenders. Four separate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted controlling for age and criminal and abuse variables. PCL-R total scores and the antisocial facet were positively correlated with general repeated offenses, despite criminal history showing higher associations with general recidivism. For IPV repeated offenders, PCL-R antisocial facet and criminal history were statistically significant, being the last one the variable that presents higher association with IPV recidivism. These results support the role of criminal history as an important variable for repeated offenses.
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    Positive childhood experiences and adverse experiences : psychometric properties of the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale (BCEs) among the Portuguese population
    (Elsevier Ltd., 2021-10) Almeida, Telma Catarina; Guarda, Renata; Cunha, Olga; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Background: Positive childhood experiences have a positive effect on adulthood, and the absence of positive experiences can be more damaging throughout life than the presence of adversity. Recently, researchers have developed the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale (BCEs), an instrument designed to assess positive childhood experiences. Objectives: The present study aims to adapt the BCEs to the Portuguese population and examines its psychometric properties. Participants and settings: 1886 adults with a mean age of 36.36 years (SD = 13.66) from the community participated in this study. Methods: Participants responded to an online protocol consisting of a sociodemographic questionnaire, the BCEs, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a one-factor structure for the BCEs with a good fit, CFI = 0.94; NFI = 0.92; RMSEA = 0.043 [0.036, 0.050]. Results also indicated satisfactory internal consistency and discriminant validity values. Predictive validity showed that higher BCEs scores predicted fewer adverse experiences in the last 3 years, but only before accounting for adverse childhood experiences. Conclusions: Overall, the results support the assertion that the Portuguese version of the BCEs is a valuable, brief, and psychometrically reliable instrument to measure positive childhood experiences that is suitable for use in Portugal.
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    Translation and validation for the Portuguese adult population of the persistent and intrusive negative thoughts scale : assessing measurement invariance
    (Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2021-12) Peixoto, Maria Manuela; Cunha, Olga; HEI-LAB - Human Environment Interaction Lab
    Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic construct associated with a variety of emotional disorders. To date, disorder-specific self-report measures have been found to capture specific types of RNT. The Persistent and Intrusive Negative Thoughts Scale (PINTS) is a 5-item measure developed to overcome current limitations. The current study aims to translate and validate the PINTS for the Portuguese population. An online sample consisting of 432 participants (213 men, 219 women) completed the PINTS—PT and a set of related self-report measures. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the one-factor model fitted the Portuguese version and supported the proposed factorial structure. Reliability analyses showed good internal consistency and excellent temporal stability. Convergent and criterion validity results also showed good values. Overall, the PINTS—PT proved to be a brief and reliable measure for assessing persistent and intrusive negative thoughts, and its use in clinical and research contexts is recommended.