Gender Differences in Employment Among Drug Court Participants: The Influence of Peer Relations and Friendship Network

• NCJ Number: 225217
• Journal: Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: 2008 Pages: 530-547
• Author(s): Michele Staton-Tindall; Jamieson L. Duvall; Carrie B. Oser; Carl G. Leukefeld; J. Matthew Webster
• Date Published: 2008
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): RO1-13076
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The purpose of this study was to examine the association among gender, employment, peer relations, and friendship network among substance-using offenders in two drug court programs.

Abstract

The findings indicate that friendship network measures were more strongly related to self-reported illegal employment for women than for men. Also, men reported more days of legal employment than did women during the 6 months before drug court. For substance-using offenders, the link between employment and peer relations is under-investigated. However, the research literature has identified gender differences in employment with substance-using women less likely to obtain and maintain employment when compared to men. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in employment and peer relations among a sample of substance-using offenders in two drug court programs. It is recommended that future research examine employment trajectories over time and examine changes in employment patterns that may vary with changes in relationships. In addition, future research should examine other factors that may influence the relationship between peer networks and employment. Study participants were 327 male and 173 female offenders who were in 2 Kentucky drug court programs between March 2000 and November 2002. Tables, figures, and references