EMPIRICAL CLASSIFICATION OF FEMALE OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 46075
• Journal: Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1978) Pages: 35-52
• Author(s): C S WIDOM
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 18 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: University of California, Berkeley
• Corporate Author: American Assoc of Correctional Psychologists
• Sale Source: Institute for Scientific Information
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A TAXONOMY OF FEMALE OFFENDERS IS DEVELOPED ON THE BASIS OF PERSONALITY PROFILES OF 66 WOMEN IN THE AWAITING TRIAL UNIT AT THE MASSACHUSETTS CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN FRAMINGHAM.

Abstract

PERSONALITY PROFILES OF THE SUBJECTS, 94 PERCENT OF WHOM HAD CONVICTIONS PRIOR TO THEIR CURRENT ARREST, WERE SUBJECTED TO CLUSTER ANALYSIS. THE FOUR DISTINCT PROFILE TYPES THAT EMERGED CLASSIFIED THREE-QUARTERS OF THE SAMPLE. THE PROFILE TYPES WERE TENTATIVELY IDENTIFIED CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHS, SECONDARY OR NEUROTIC PSYCHOPATHS, THE OVERCONTROLLED PERSONALITY TYPE, AND NORMAL CRIMINALS. THE WOMEN IN THE FIRST GROUP WERE UNDERSOCIALIZED, HOSTILE, IMPULSIVE, AGGRESSIVE, AND RELATIVELY LACKING IN ANXIETY. WOMEN IN THE SECOND GROUP HAD PARTICULARLY HIGH SCORES ON PSYCHOPATHIC DEVIANCE AND AGGRESSION SCALES, DIFFERING FROM THE FIRST GROUP PRIMARILY IN TERMS OF HIGHER LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. WOMEN IN THE THIRD GROUP SAW THEMSELVES AS BASICALLY FREE FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTURBANCE, ALTHOUGH THEIR TEST SCORES SUGGEST SIGNIFICANT DENIAL. WOMEN CLASSIFIED AS NORMAL CRIMINALS DEMONSTRATED LITTLE PERSONALITY PATHOLOGY. THE HIGH HOSTILITY SCORES RECORDED FOR THE ENTIRE SAMPLE ARE NOTED, AND AN INTERPRETATION IS SUGGESTED. THE FINDINGS ARE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF OTHER STUDIES OF FEMALE AND MALE OFFENDERS. THE NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH OF FEMALE OFFENDERS, PARTICULARLY FEMALE PSYCHOPATHS, IS STRESSED. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED-LKM)