Women Who Embezzle or Defraud - A Study of Convicted Felons

• NCJ Number: 81436
• Author(s): D Zietz
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 159 pages
• Sale Source: Praeger Publishers
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Praeger Special Studies in Social Welfare.

Annotation

This study compares a typology of females convicted of embezzlement and fraud with a typology of male embezzlers reported in Cressey's 'Other People's Money' (1953). It finds that women violate financial trust when financial difficulties push them to drastic action and that they must justify the offense for their own self-concept.

Abstract

The book first reviews the literature pertaining to women who commit property offenses and then examines concepts and typologies with relevance to women who embezzle or defraud. The study replicates Cressey's investigation of criminal violation of financial trust. Later the study was expanded to include an exploration of characteristics of other women who were convicted of similar property offenses, such as fraud, forgery, and grand theft. Initially researchers reviewed inmates' records at the California Institution for Women and subsequently selected 100 women to interview. Their common characteristics were determined by factor analysis; results were tabulated and case histories were selected. Data from official records and interviews also were also used to explore the characteristics of other female property offenders. The results identified four different systems of behavior among 'honest' women who embezzled (those who did not fraudulently intend to steal): (1) the obsessive protectors, (2) romantic dreamers, (3) greedy opportunists, and (4) victims of pressure or persuasion. Women who intended to steal or defraud were categorized as vindictive self-servers, asocial entrepreneurs, and reluctant offenders. Findings appear to indicate that Cressey's hypotheses are sometimes applicable to these women. There are similarities and differences in the problems faced by men and women who violate financial trust and in their rationalizations to justify their criminal behavior. More extensive research is needed to determine whether these findings can be considered valid for a larger group of women. Chapter notes and an index are provided. Detailed case histories are also supplied.