Violence Victimization Experiences of Pregnant Prisoners

• NCJ Number: 181321
• Journal: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry Volume: 69 Issue: 3 Dated: July 1999 Pages: 392-397
• Author(s): Marjorie R. Sable Dr.PH; John R. Fieberg M.S.; Sandra L. Martin Ph.D.; Lawrence L. Kupper Ph.D.
• Date Published: July 1999
• Length: 6 pages
• Grant Number(s): MCJ-107
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article studies the violence victimization histories of pregnant incarcerated women in relation to those of pregnant health department patients in North Carolina.

Abstract

Prisoners were twice as likely as health department patients to have experienced both physical and sexual violence compared to no violence, and more than three times more likely to have experienced both types of violence compared to only one type. These findings are consistent with those of past research in suggesting that violence is all too common in the lives of poor prenatal care patients, whether seen in a health department or a prison health clinic. However, this study adds to the picture by showing that, although pregnant prisoners and pregnant health department patients were about equally likely to experience some type of violence in their lives, prisoners were much more likely to experience a combination of sexual and physical violence. Research documenting the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among incarcerated adolescent and adult women and the relationship between violence victimization and PTSD suggest the need for further study of the impact of PTSD on criminal behavior and factors leading to incarceration among women, especially pregnant women. Tables, references