Making sense of complexity: A qualitative investigation into forensic learning disability nurses’ interpretation of the contribution of personal history to offending behaviour

Accessible SummaryThe role of an individual's personal history is important in influencing their development, especially whether they are likely to offend or engage in violent behaviour Learning disability nurses relationships with those with a history of violence or offending will improve with a more informed knowledge of how someone's offending behaviour is related to their background People with a learning disability can be supported best when the complexity of their lives is fully understood and properly informs the therapeutic relationship.Abstract Background There is growing recognition that an individual's personal history can be extremely influential in shaping their future experience, though there has been a limited exploration in the context of learning disability and offending behaviour. Method Research questions related to participant interpretation of offending behaviour and individual and service responses. A series of focus groups comprising learning disability forensic nurses were conducted across all secure settings, high, medium and low. Results Three themes were produced: interpreting offending behaviour; the impact of personal history; responding therapeutically. The difficulties relating to understanding the relationship between offending behaviour and personal history significantly informed the construction of the most effective therapeutic relationships. Conclusions An increased focus on the impact of someone's background might inform nursing as it seeks to deliver care to individuals with increasingly complex needs in a time of service transition.