Homelessness and offending behaviour are shown to be inextricably linked. For example, 75% of homeless services in England support clients with links to the Criminal Justice System (Homeless Link, 2011); 1/3 of offenders lose their home while in custody (Nacro, 2006). There is little research into the underlying reasons regarding why homelessness and offending are linked. This research examines possible psychological links between homelessness and offending, specifically examining The Big 5 Personality Factors (Costa and McCrea, 1985), Psychological Entitlement (Campbell et al, 2004) and Social Problem Solving (D’Zurilla et.al, 2001).
University of Lincoln, College of Social Science Research
Lauren Mumby, University of Lincoln, School of Psychology and Lincolnshire Action Trust
Todd Hogue, University of Lincoln, School of Psychology