Correctional rehabilitation and human functioning: An embodied, embedded, and enactive approach

Publication date: Available online 12 February 2020Source: Aggression and Violent BehaviorAuthor(s): Harry Dent, Kristopher Nielsen, Tony WardAbstractTheories of crime are based in an underlying understanding of human functioning. In this paper we argue that current theories of correctional rehabilitation imply a model of functioning which is reward-oriented, multifactorial, norm-based, and non-agential. This approach is seen as affording limited explanatory value, leading to problems with treatment efficacy. We outline an alternative perspective of functioning as being embodied, embedded, and enactive (3e). 3e places an emphasis on the individual as an embodied whole, in an adaptive relationship with their physical and social environment. We argue that 3e prioritizes the experience and agency of the individual, with a commitment to viewing a person as a functional whole drawing on comprehensive multilevel explanations. 3e places a strong emphasis on the role of individual affectivity and emotion as a core component of functioning. Finally, implications of the 3e model for correctional practice are discussed.
Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research