NCJ Number
220962
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior: An International Journal Volume: 34 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2007 Pages: 1385-1401
Date Published
November 2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of childhood adverse events (CAEs) among men and women prisoners and assess the relationship of CAEs to adult symptoms of traumatic distress.
Abstract
Both men and women under criminal justice supervision commonly report histories of childhood abuse and household dysfunction, even more so for those who are drug dependent. However, it is clear that women offenders more often report certain types of abuse and a longer duration of abuse, as compared to their male counterparts. With the rising number of drug-dependent men and women with co-occurring mental disorders entering prison-based substance abuse programs and the higher risk of recidivism for those with co-morbidity, it is important to understand and address the potential effects of abuse throughout adulthood for both men and women. Research shows the consistent finding that women offenders report a higher prevalence of childhood abuse and maltreatment justifiably leading to an increase in research assessing the long-term impact of such trauma among women. This study extends the previous study on women offenders and reports on an analysis of baseline data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Treatment Initiative evaluation to examine the prevalence of several types of childhood adverse events (CAEs) among drug-dependent men and women offenders. Interview data for 427 men and 315 women were analyzed assessing childhood abuse and household dysfunction, drug and criminal histories, and symptoms of traumatic distress. Tables, figure and references