Changing Perceptions of the Etiology of Crime: The Relationship Between Abuse and Female Criminality

• NCJ Number: 153862
• Journal: Journal of the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium Volume: 1 Dated: (August 1994) Pages: 13-25
• Author(s): S Marcus-Mendoza; E Sargent; Y C Ho
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

To examine the relationship between female criminality and the experience of abuse, researchers administered a survey to 557 female inmates housed in two correctional centers in Oklahoma.

Abstract

The survey showed that 80 percent of the respondents had been physically, emotionally, or sexually abused, and over 72 percent had experienced at least two types of abuse. Abused inmates were more likely to report substance abuse problems, emotional problems, and interpersonal problems, and were more pessimistic about their opportunities for resocialization after release from prison. Abused women typically experience a profound lack of control during their abuse, have difficulty with authority figures, and engage in unhealthy coping strategies, all of which may be exacerbated by incarceration. Therapy could help these inmates better adapt to their incarceration situation. 4 tables and 11 references