Insult to Injury

An eight-day groupwork programme for men with an acknowledged and persistent history of violent offending. Using some of Geese's tried and tested theatrical metaphors, the programme invites participants to explore the process of violence, how it operates for them and to practice skills in order to avoid future violent offending.

Although most commonly delivered in prison and mental health settings, Insult to Injury is also suitable as a community based groupwork intervention.

Between October 2003 and January 2006 Insult to Injury was delivered seven times in six different prisons, with 63 men participating in total. As part of the programme, all participants completed a psychometric questionnaire before and after the course. The questionnaires were analysed by the University of Birmingham Forensic Psychology Department and revealed a dramatic reduction in anger levels and increase in control of anger.

All 63 participants who took part in the programme had a history of anger related violent offending, and the results of the psychometric testing show that on all the elements of the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2) there were statistically significant (p<0.00025) shifts. This provides very clear evidence that participation in the Insult to Injury intervention is associated with a significant reduction in self-reported anger in those with a history of violence. Participants who completed Insult to Injury reported feeling less angry and less likely to express anger either physically or verbally. Anger temperament was reduced, as well as the expression of anger both inwards and out. Furthermore, an increase in ability to control anger was observed.

Anger is clearly identified as an antecedent to the majority of violent offending, so anger management programmes are vital in addressing this behaviour. However, previous studies of anger management programmes with a specific focus on violent offenders are few and far between and those that have been conducted have produced contradictory results. In addition, there have been very few studies of art-based interventions with violent offenders, although a study conducted in 1998 of a Geese Theatre Company intervention with mentally disordered violent offenders in Broadmoor also found that participation in the theatre project was associated with a significant reduction in self-reported anger. The study of Insult to Injury is the first that we know of which has a relatively large sample size (63 men) from a range of prison establishments and which looks exclusively at the use of theatre and drama in addressing issues of anger, aggression and violence.

If you would like more information about this study then please email us.