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APPROACHING A COMPARATIVE TYPOLOGY OF ASSAULTIVE FEMALE OFFENDERS

NCJ Number
49054
Author(s)
A R FELTHOUS; B YUDOWITZ
Date Published
1977
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF BIOLOGICAL SEX, SEX-RELATED CULTURAL FACTORS, AND ASEXUAL CONSTITUTIONAL AND PSYCHODYNAMIC FACTORS IN THE GENESIS OF ASSAULTIVE POTENTIAL IS COMPARED FOR MALE AND FEMALE OFFENDERS.
Abstract
THE STUDY SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 31 FEMALE OFFENDERS INCARCERATED AT THE MASSACHUSETTS CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT FRAMINGHAM AND 19 MALE OFFENDERS IMPRISONED AT THE MIDDLESEX COUNTY HOUSE OF CORRECTION IN BILLERICA. EVALUATIONS UNDERTAKEN DURING THE STUDY INCLUDED ADMINISTRATION OF A MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONNAIRE, A PSYCHIATRIC INTERVIEW, AND REVIEW OF THE SUBJECT'S RECORD. THE QUESTIONNAIRE CONTAINED 11 DEMOGRAPHIC ITEMS AND 27 ITEMS HYPOTHETICALLY RELATED TO ASSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR. THE FINDINGS OF THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUGGEST THAT INJURIOUS PATERNAL PUNISHMENTS AND CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ARE SIGNIFICANT CORRELATES OF ASSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR IN FEMALE OFFENDERS. OTHER VARIABLES INDICATE A MORE GENERAL SOCIAL MALADAPTIVENESS IN BOTH MALE AND FEMALE SUBJECTS. THE TYPOLOGY OF THE AGGRESSIVE, IMPULSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER OBSERVED IN MALES APPEARS TO BE EQUALLY APPLICABLE TO IMPULSIVELY ASSAULTIVE FEMALES. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH MORE FIRMLY THE RELATIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF EACH VARIABLE AND THE CLUSTERING OF VARIABLES AS SIGNS OF IMPULSIVE-ASSAULTIVE POTENTIAL. DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE INCLUDED. NO REFERENCES ARE CITED. (RCB)

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