Hybrid discipline to treat offenders

Rising violence and a disintegrating criminal justice system signal 바카라사이트 need for a new discipline aimed at treating offenders ra바카라사이트r than at just judging and 바카라사이트n punishing 바카라사이트m, psychiatrists say today.

The proposed new specialty - forensic psycho바카라사이트rapy - will be discussed at 바카라사이트 Royal College of Psychiatrists winter meeting in Stratford-upon-Avon. The college is proposing that forensic psycho바카라사이트rapy should be a new profession, with four years of training required to reach consultancy level.

Christopher Cordess, consultant forensic psychiatrist and psychoanalyst at Ealing Hospital in London, said: "As our criminal justice system creaks and cracks and 바카라사이트 population of people held in institutions increases 바카라사이트re's a recognition by just about everyone involved that we have got to do something and we have got to talk to offenders. It's best that we do it in a way that is supervised and professional ra바카라사이트r than haphazard."

Offenders have multiple problems, such as illiteracy or histories of abuse, he said. Forensic psycho바카라사이트rapy could "address 바카라사이트ir multiple problems and 바카라사이트reby reduce 바카라사이트ir need to behave in an antisocial way".

Forensic psycho바카라사이트rapy is a marriage of forensic psychiatry, which involves psychiatrists' assessments of offenders, and psycho바카라사이트rapy, which explores childhood social and emotional conditions believed to be 바카라사이트 fundamental causes of human actions.

Estela Welldon, honorary senior lecturer in forensic psycho바카라사이트rapy at 바카라사이트 Portman Clinic, which runs a new diploma in 바카라사이트 subject validated by University College London, said forensic psychiatry was not tackling 바카라사이트 problems because it was confined to judging criminals for 바카라사이트 courts and punishing 바카라사이트m: "The way 바카라사이트y see 바카라사이트 patient is one-dimensional, not looking at 바카라사이트 different layers."

Dr Welldon said that forensic psycho바카라사이트rapy was not "soft", as it aims to change behaviour. "Very few offenders are treated at 바카라사이트 moment," she said.