Theorising sexual media and sexual violence in a forensic setting: Men's talk about pornography and offending
Section snippets
Introduction: locating pornography in the cultural context of forensic provision
This research-based paper explores the subject of pornography in the context of one forensic unit for the treatment of personality disordered sexual offenders. Study design acknowledged larger debates, or discourses, about the relationship between sexual imagery and behaviour, but the rationale was situated in the practice domain of mental health nursing. The first author [DM] was previously employed in the high-secure system, and spent a number of years facilitating cognitive–behavioural
Discourse analytic design
Discourse analysis is described as a ‘heterogeneous range of social science research based on the analysis of interviews and texts (Silverman, 2001: 177), which treats the social world as a series of texts that exist independently of those who use them; an understanding of social voices as collective ways of talking that make social life possible (Cameron, 2001). The development of discourse analysis across a number of disciplines means it cannot be understood as a unified approach (Cheek, 2004
Findings
Data analysis illustrated how male staff and patients used language to position themselves in relation to the hospital, and each other, where gendered discourse transcended institutional and professional location. They described the institution as remote and oppressive, and men's talk textured relations at the lowest level of a hierarchical, rule-structured, system. This cultural dynamic permitted men to position themselves in context-specific circumstances, while female nurses were
Discussion
The findings of this study add to a body of work exploring pornography and male sexual violence. Empirical investigation has focused, largely, on the potential effects of viewing particular images, recruiting participants from non-offender populations. Feminist and behavioural science inquiry has framed debate about pornography and harm as a public health issue with political and legislative dimensions (Itzin, 1992). Though complementary to these ideas, the study outlined in this paper
Implications for practice
The study identified a series of context-specific issues that relate to the recent history of English high-secure services, but findings might have wider relevance for the management of pornography in other types of forensic provision. Early concerns were raised about pornography in forensic units (Duff, 1995), as a professional issue for nursing, long before the report of the Fallon Inquiry (Fallon et al., 1999) transformed it into a national problem. It is difficult to conjecture how
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2018, International Journal of Law and PsychiatryCitation Excerpt :Interaction among staff plays a crucial role in constructing ward atmosphere, institutional policies – both written and spoken – and affecting the provision of care. A nurse reported “in the staff room and when you go out for a pint and it goes to a different level then because of course we're off duty… we're not on stage at any level and then they're talked about as being sick… horrible… perverted… should never get out… throw away the key” (Mercer & Perkins, 2014). Such interaction can serve to reinforce attitudes and practices.
Sex, gender and the carceral: Female staff experiences of working in forensic care with sexual offenders
2018, International Journal of Law and PsychiatryCitation Excerpt :Debates about patriarchy, profession and inequitable relations have long been recognised in nursing (Witz 1992; Carter, 1994; Welch 2011), with men distancing themselves from female co-workers, and feminised representations, to achieve prestige, power and situational dominance (Evans, 1997; Mercer, 2013). In mental health settings, however, a ‘tradition of toughness’ has historically constructed nursing roles in terms of physicality and policing (Morrison, 1990), creating islands of masculinity within professional cultures (Evans, 2004; Mercer & Perkins, 2014). In this sense, UK high-secure hospitals, like other disciplinary components of the carceral network, remain a vestige of the ‘total institution’ (Goffman, 1961; Tracy, 2004).
Factors affecting high secure forensic mental health nursing workforce sustainability: Perspectives from frontline nurses and stakeholders
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