Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The rate of criminal involvement of women has historically been lower than that
of men; however, that is changing. Changes in societal norms and progress toward gender
equality have broadened the scope of female behaviors, and modified traditional female
responsibilities and roles in the home potentially influencing their participation in the
crime market. However, the bulk of research on criminal activity is based on the male
experience. Thus, less is known about female criminals and their motivations. A closer
look at women’s trajectories into crime therefore will likely yield important insights.
This study investigates the descent into drugs and crime from the perspective of
women who have previously been charged with crimes beyond simple possession of
illegal substances. The key interest lies in shedding light on the experiences that set these
women on the path to criminal activity. Specifically, this project aims to explore what the
women themselves perceive as precursors to their criminal experience.
Our findings suggest that female descent into crime may run contrary to many
widely held beliefs, such as: that criminal careers begin in adolescence; that women
become participants in crime through the influence of significant others; and that
criminals come from lower class households.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:IUPUI/oai:scholarworks.iupui.edu:1805/18516 |
| Date | 10 1900 |
| Creators | Pierce, Allison Bianca |
| Contributors | Aponte, Robert, Foote, Carrie E., Bell, Linda G. |
| Source Sets | Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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