Detecting offence paralleling behaviours in a medium secure psychiatric unit

Offence paralleling behaviour (OPB) is a relatively new concept that emphasizes the assessment and modification of behavioural patterns that parallel criminal offending. Extant empirical research into OPB has typically focussed on the similarity between aggressive behaviours observed in custody and violent index offences perpetrated in the community; the results of these studies have been inconsistent, with the degree of similarity varying within subjects and across studies; (Daffern, Howells, Stacey, Hogue, Mooney, 2008; Daffern, Howells, Mannion, Tonkin, 2009). The aim of this study was to establish the level of similarity between OPB predictions and actual inpatient aggressive behaviours.