Individuals incarcerated in prisons across the United Kingdom and abroad are able to volunteer for a variety of peer-support roles, which are characterized by prisoner-to-prisoner helping. Some research has found that such roles can represent turning points in the lives of those who have offended and encourage movements toward desistance. This proposed redemptive influence is argued to result from the prosocial behaviors that such roles appear to elicit in their holders. The present study aims to explore the mechanics of this claimed influence. While a limited amount of research has attempted this on a general offending population, no research has done so with a sample of sexual offenders. Given the intensive treatment programs involved in such contexts, and the requirements for sexual offenders to demonstrate reduced risk, the authors believe those serving time for sexual offenses represent an important sample on which to explore the potentially redemptive properties of peer-support roles. To this end, 13 peer supporters participated in semistructured interviews. Transcripts were analyzed using a phenomenologically oriented thematic analysis. Results suggest that sexual offenders who adopt peer-support roles are able to live up to desired selves by "doing good" in prison, "giving back," and consequently resisting negative labels. These benefits have been theoretically linked with better reintegration outcomes for sexual offenders, who are publicly denigrated in the extreme and find it especially difficult to (re)integrate. Suggestions regarding the future utility of such schemes are offered.

中文翻译：

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“这在某种程度上向我重申了我不是怪物，我不是一个可怕的人”：性犯罪者通过监狱中的同伴支持作用走向抵抗的运动。

在英国和其他国家/地区的监狱中被关押的个人能够自愿担任各种同伴支持角色，其特点是囚犯之间的帮助。一些研究发现，这样的角色可以代表冒犯者的生活中的转折点，并鼓励他们走向戒断运动。有人认为这种提议的救赎影响是由亲社会行为引起的，这种亲社会行为似乎在其持有者中引起。本研究旨在探索这种声称影响的机理。尽管针对普通犯罪人群进行了有限的研究，但没有针对性犯罪样本的研究。考虑到在这种情况下涉及的强化治疗方案，以及对性犯罪者表现出降低风险的要求，作者认为，为性犯罪服务的时间代表了一个重要的样本，可以用来探讨同伴支持角色的潜在救赎性质。为此，有13位同行支持者参加了半结构化访谈。转录本使用面向现象学的主题分析进行了分析。结果表明，扮演同伴支持角色的性犯罪者能够通过在监狱中“做好”，“回馈”并因此抵制负面标签而达到自己的期望。从理论上讲，这些好处与性犯罪者获得更好的重返社会结局相关，性犯罪者受到极端的公开谴责，特别难以（重新）融入社会。提供了有关此类方案未来实用性的建议。