En korrelationell studie om beröringsundvikande, hierarkier och kränkning bland intagna vid en sluten kriminalvårdsanstalt
The aim of this investigation was to assess if there was a correlation between touch avoidance and hierarchical position, perceived degradation, number of years spent in jail and age amongst men at a correctional institution. In addition, a possible correlation between hierarchical position and the amount of perceived degrading treatment was also explored. In the collection of the data a questionnaire containing 27 open and closed answer alternatives was utilized. A multiple regressional analysis was conducted to find possible correlations between touch avoidance and the other underlying variables. Also an independent t-test explored the possible effects of the control variables: place of birth and girlfriend. A correlational analysis was applied to investigate the other two control variables: physical and psychological abuse during childhood. An oneway-ANOVA-test was used to investigate the possible correlation between hierarchical position and the amount of perceived degrading treatment. The results of the study showed that a high amount of degrading treatment, a low hierarchical position and the longer the time served correlated with a high degree of touch avoidance. Age proved to have no correlation with touch avoidance, which is contrary to previous research. Regarding the inmates? hierarchical position and the amount of perceived degrading treatment, a negative correlation was found; the higher hierarchical position an inmate had, the smaller was the amount of degrading treatment he was subjected to.Keywords: Touch avoidance, hierarchies, degrading treatment, inmates, prison