Problem behaviors in high schools such as bullying, slander on SNS, violence, smoking, and drinking are diversifying, and the factors that cause such behaviors are becoming more complex. These include both students’ internal problems and their interpersonal environment. In this study, we visualized potential behavioral factors and promoted teachers’ understanding of students by introducing assessments specialized for the prevention of problematic behaviors in high school settings. Furthermore, we aimed to improve risk related to problematic behavior factors by implementing systematic preventive education based on cognitive behavioral therapy aimed at mitigating cognitive distortion. As a result of these practices, among the first-year students who participated in the program, normative beliefs about aggression significantly decreased in the unstable group, along with many problematic behavioral factors. This result suggests the effectiveness of introducing assessments and programs aimed at preventing problematic behaviors.

Unemployment rate is high among the incarcerated population, which is why employment is considered an important criminogenic need. Given the high unemployment rate among women in prison, we conducted a national survey to clarify the employment status and related factors of the incarcerated population, with a focus on gender differences. The results showed that more than 60％ of imprisoned men were employed at the time of their arrest, and many of them were looking for work even they were unemployed. In contrast, around 30％ of women in prison were employed at the time of their arrest, while others were housewives who were partially employed or unemployed due to age, disability or being a housewife. We hypothesized that family factors (having a partner or children, providing care, and traditional gender role expectations) and disability factors (drug addiction, mental illness, etc.) would be related to the high unemployment rate among incarcerated women, but none of these hypotheses were supported. Older age and receipt of public assistance were found to be factors explaining unemployment for both genders, and some other factors explained unemployment specifically for incarcerated men. We discussed implications for future research on employment and gender among the incarcerated population.

In Japan, the development of simple tools for assessing the risk of recidivism is an urgent and critical issue to enhance recidivism prevention. To address this concern, we developed the Japanese version of the Inventory of Offender Risk, Needs, and Strengths (IORNS), a self-administered, questionnaire-based tool designed to assess recidivism risk. The IORNS consists of three components—static risk, dynamic needs, and protective strengths —and has been standardized for male and female offenders in the United States. This study examined the reliability and concurrent validity of the Japanese IORNS using a sample of 146 male and female offenders recruited from offender rehabilitation facilities, specialized medical institutions for addiction, and addiction rehabilitation centers in Japan. The results indicated that, consistent with the original instrument, the Japanese IORNS demonstrated high internal consistency across all factors. In addition, the overall risk index and dynamic needs component showed significant positive associations with pathological personality traits, drug dependence, aggression, and psychopathy. Furthermore, the protective strengths component exhibited significant positive associations with self-control and social support. These findings indicate that the Japanese IORNS has a high level of validity within a Japanese offender population. Further research is required to collect normative data for standardizing the tool among male and female offenders in Japan.

It is said that human aggression is related not only to aggressive behavior toward others but also to the occurrence of suicide-related behaviors such as suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, but its relationship with background factors has not been fully clarified. In this study, we focused on the discrepancy between explicit self-esteem (ESE) and implicit self-esteem (ISE) as a background factor leading to increased aggression, and examined how the type of discrepancy and the size of the discrepancy affect aggression toward self and others. Female undergraduate and graduate students were asked about ESE, ISE, aggression, and suicidal ideation, and data from 147 students were finally analyzed. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that having a higher ISE than ESE increased aggression toward self and others. These findings suggest the need for interventions to reduce the discrepancy between ESE and ISE in order to reduce aggression toward others and self.

While evaluation of strengths has been discussed in the context of risk assessment, there is a growing interest in how strengths can be utilized in both risk assessment and treatment. This paper explores the importance of identifying strengths based on evidence and their practical applications to prevent recidivism by reviewing previous studies. Our aim was to clarify the advantages of incorporating strengths into assessment and treatment processes. We argue that strengths, promotive factors and protective factors, should be defined based on empirical findings. Also, it is important to understand the appropriate timing of interventions and individual needs to discuss how to incorporate strengths into practice. In particular, until adolescence, strengths may be used in the primary preventive interventions and for motivational purposes. For adult offenders, strengths may be used to develop their abilities and resources, to motivate them toward prosocial lives and as part of support plan. Strengths may help broaden our perspectives on offender intervention, and can be potential indicators of long-term deterrent effect on recidivism for high risk population. We conclude that assessing strengths may not simply be the inverse of assessing risk factors. Rather, its potentials to strengthen treatment of offenders and delinquents should be acknowledged.