NCJ Number
214817
Journal
Criminology Volume: 44 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2006 Pages: 321-352
Date Published
May 2006
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This analysis of women's narratives about their violent behavior focused on the range of motives and circumstances underlying their violence.
Abstract
The findings show that not only gender but also social class and race were factors in the circumstances and motivations for women's violent behavior. Much of their violent behavior stemmed from gender roles as mothers and intimate partners. Threats to their status as a "good" mother or partner aroused jealousy and anger that culminated in violence against those perceived as having betrayed them and/or diminished their status by word or action. Others viewed their violence as self-defense against partners who had been violent with them. Race was also a factor in violent encounters. The sense of being treated with disrespect because of one's race in various situations also spurred violent reactions, as did perceptions of being treated badly because of social class. For the women in this study, violent behavior was not only triggered by victimization and domestic conflict but also circumstances and interactions related to the desire for money, respect, and justice. This suggests that research on women's violence should focus on the desire for and threats to women's sense of status and worth in specific types of interactions and circumstances. The narratives were obtained from a racially diverse sample of 205 women who were incarcerated in the Hennepin County Adult Detention Facility (Minnesota). A life events calendar was used to assess women's involvement as both victims and offenders in violent crimes over the 36 months prior to their incarceration. Sixty-six of the women provided information on 106 violent incidents. The study examined the demographic and situational factors involved in the violent incidents. 3 tables and 81 references