NCJ Number
64860
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1979) Pages: 365-382
Date Published
1979
Length
18 pages
Annotation
THE VALIDITY OF THREE ASSMUPTIONS ABOUT SELF-ESTEEM, SEX-ROLE IDENTITY, AND FEMINISM IN FEMALE OFFENDERS WAS EMPIRICALLY INVESTIGATED IN A STUDY OF 73 WOMEN AWAITING TRIAL (ATU) IN MASSACHUSETTS.
Abstract
ATU AND A COMPARISION GROUP OF WOMEN WERE ADMINSTERED SEVERAL QUESTIONNAIRES MEASURING SELF-ESTEEM, PERSONAL AUTONOMY, PSYCHOLOGICAL MASCULINITY AND FEMININITY, AND FEMINISM. DESPITE AGE AND EDUCATIONAL DIFFERENCES, ATU WOMEN WERE FAMILIAR TO NONOFFENDER WOMEN. THE RESULTS DID NOT SUPPORT ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND INCREASED MASCULINITY IN FEMALE OFFENDERS. ALTHOUGH DEVIANT SEX-ROLE ORIENTATION IN THE FORM OF INCREASED MASCULINITY HAS BEEN THOUGHT TO BE IMPORTANT IN EXPLAINING FEMALE CRIMINALITY, THE RESULTS DISCREDITED SUCH AN ASSUMPTION AND SUGGESTED THAT IT MAY BE THE LEVEL OF FEMININITY (OR EXPRESSIVENESS) THAT IS IMPORTANT IN UNDERSTANDING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. THE STUDY FOUND THAT MASCULINITY WAS UNRELATED TO CRIMINALITY, WHEREAS FEMININITY WAS NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH IT. IT IS CLEAR THAT SOCIETAL EXPECTATIONS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN INFLUENCING ONE'S SELF-CONCEPT. FOR INSTANCE, FEMALE OFFENDERS PERCEIVE MORE SOCIETAL DISAPPROVAL OF THEIR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, ALTHOUGH THE EXTENT OF THEIR INTERNALIZATION OF THESE NEGATIVE EVALUATIONS IS UNCLEAR. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT SELF-ESTEEM IN WOMEN SERVING LONG PRISON SENTENCES HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED HERE. TABULAR DATA, NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED-MJW)