A new study shows that women, who experience any type of trauma such as caregiver's violence, partner violence, or witnessing violence, commit specific types of crimes in later life.
Women are often subjected to violence from intimate partners or caretakers. A new study based on real-life experiences has linked certain types of traumas that women experience to specific offences later in life.
Researchers of the study, Dana DeHart, Shannon Lynch, Joanne Belknap and Bonnie Green conducted interviews with 115 female inmates from five U.S. states. The findings of the new research will be helpful in the development of new gender-specific programs and finding alternate solutions to women imprisonment.
The interviews of the life-history of the female inmates revealed their future behavior. According to the study, women who were victims of partner violence were more likely to commit property crimes, drug offenses and commercial sex work. Similarly women who witnessed violence had an increased risk of property crimes, indulging in physical fights and using weapons, which often stemmed from self defense or protecting others. Women who experienced violence from caregivers increased the risk of running away as a teen.
The women interviewed in the study were also diagnosed of mental health disorders. Most women had serious mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder or psychotic spectrum disorders, which accounted for nearly 50 percent. Researchers noted that 51 percent women were exposed to post-traumatic stress disorder and/or substance abuse (85 percent).
"Existing studies note that many offenders with serious mental illness are not identified as mentally ill upon entry into the system," the authors wrote in a press release. "Given that mental health problems in offenders are linked to greater likelihood of violent crimes, longer sentences, rule violations, and physical assaults in the corrections environment, greater knowledge and understanding of these offenders and their needs is critical for the success of behavioral health treatment programs, jail management, and correctional staff safety."
The findings of the study are published in a SAGE journal Psychology of Women Quarterly.
