Childhood Abuse Classes for Incarcerated Men and Women: Are There Unique Gender Patterns in Abuse Classes?

Abstract

Childhood adversity is predictive of poorer health and behavioral health outcomes in adulthood. Males and females are known to experience different types of childhood adversity, with females experiencing more sexual and emotional harm in childhood. Latent class analysis (LCA) has been used to identify patterns among types of childhood adversity. These studies have constructed class structures using single gender or blended gender samples. Class structures based on blended gender samples, however, may misrepresent the nuances of gender-specific adversity histories through averaging, potentially distorting the relative need for gender-specific types of intervention. This study investigated whether latent class structures of childhood abuse are equivalent for incarcerated males and females. Our sample included 4,204 residents (3,986 males, 218 females) drawn from a single prison system. Residents completed an hour-long audio computer-assisted self-interview that included questions on 10 types of childhood abuse, depression, and anxiety symptoms, the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, and Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified (CSS-M). Overall, female residents were both more likely to experience childhood abuse and have more extensive victimization experiences. Small subgroups of males, however, had even more extensive victimization experiences. Abuse patterns for males and females, while optimally clustering in four classes, are rather unique, especially for higher abuse classes, in terms of distribution of membership and types of abuse. These differences may matter in terms of identifying the relative need for therapeutic intervention among incarcerated males and females and targeting those interventions in ways that reflect the gradient and density of therapeutic need. The next step is to test whether using blended or gendered latent class structures matters in terms of predicting outcomes, such as prison-based behavioral health problems, suicidality, and victimization.

“[Y]ou are better off talking to a f****** wall”: The perceptions and experiences of grievance procedures among incarcerated people in Ireland

“…Our study focused exclusively on incarcerated males. Previous research has found that male and female incarcerated people differ in several aspects (e.g., mental health, substance‐dependence disorders, violence; Binswanger et al, 2010; Wolff et al, 2020), therefore research should replicate these findings with samples of incarcerated women to explore whether perceptions and usage of the complaint system differ by gender. This is particularly relevant as previous research in other jurisdictions suggests that incarcerated women and youth may be less likely to seek a review by the Ombudsman or know about the system to do so (Prison and Probations Ombudsman for England and Wales, 2015).…”

Violence Against Incarcerated Women: Predicting Risk Through the Lens of Childhood Harm

“…The current study uses a person-centered approach, based on the interrelations among child harm, to address methodological limitations of previous research. While research suggests that men and women have unique patterns of childhood harm (Wolff et al, 2020), very few studies have been conducted with incarcerated women specifically. This is an important limitation because such analyses could inform program planning and development that address the unique treatment needs of incarcerated women.…”

Is Illicit Substance Use Gender-Specific? The Basic Points of Mental and Health Disorders

“…Stress ranks among the wide variety of causes and well-known risk factors leading to drug addiction and relapse, with addictive disorders being chronic and recurrent [ 12 ]. Childhood trauma is a risk factor for anxiety, mental disorders development, and substance use [ 13 ], which are more common in women [ 14 , 15 ]; therefore, drug addiction is more pronounced in them than in men [ 16 ]. The data show an increased use of illicit drugs such as opioids among women.…”