Fear of Intimacy among Criminal Inmates at the Reform and Rehabilitation Center

Abstract

The fear of intimacy is often considered one of the subconscious fears of closeness, which may affect interpersonal relationships. This type of fear is more common among the groups closest to the person, such as relatives, neighbors, and friends. The person may have feelings of anxiety resulting from rejection, deterioration of the relationship, or fear of not re-establishing the relationship. The current study aimed to identify the level of fear of intimacy and detect differences in fear of intimacy according to the variables of the number of arrests and marital status. The study sample consisted of 180 criminal inmates in the Rehabilitation and Reform Center of Khan Yunis Governorate. The researcher used the descriptive analytical method, and to achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher developed a measure of fear of intimacy. In light of the results of the study, it is recommended that services, including guidance and psychological counseling services in prisons, should include activities and therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing the severity of fear of affectionate relationships among criminal inmates and helping criminals released from prisons reintegrate into life. Additionally, they should be trained in strategies to manage the challenging social realities of discrimination and stigma, and the designing of counseling interventions should be based on developing a positive self-identity and managing daily interactions