Prevalence and Patterns of Sexual Assault Across the Life Span Among Incarcerated Women

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of and associations among sexual assault by life stage (childhood, adolescence, or adulthood) and perpetrator (family, stranger, friend, or partner) via a survey of a statewide sample of incarcerated women (N = 484). Participants were 18 to 56 years old, and the majority were White (56%). Results demonstrate higher rates of sexual assault in childhood (35%) and adulthood (22%) as compared with adolescence (14%). Logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between childhood sexual assault by family and adulthood sexual assault by friend, stranger, and partner; adolescent sexual assault was not significantly associated with sexual assault in childhood or adulthood. These findings suggest that the lifetime sexual victimization pattern of incarcerated women differs from that seen in the general population.

Examining the Traumatic Effects of Sexual Victimization on the Health of Incarcerated Women

“…Learning more about this vulnerable group is equally important for the prison system, which is responsible for providing a variety of health services to accommodate their special needs. With the majority of women who enter prison sharing similar socioeconomic backgrounds of poverty, abandonment, and negative childhood experiences (Messina & Grella, 2006;Talvi, 2007), learning more about the long-term consequences of sexual victimization on the health and well-being of incarcerated women is more important than ever (Maeve, 2000;McDaniels-Wilson & Belknap, 2008;Raj et al, 2008;Thomas, Joshi, Wittenberg, & McCloskey, 2008). Statistics.…”

“…When examining a statewide sample of incarcerated women (N ¼ 484), Raj et al (2008) found that one in three women were sexually abused before the age of 18, with the average age being 9.6 years. Although the authors reported that 47% of their sample was sexually abused between 12 and 17 years of age, 29% of all forcible rapes occurred when the victim was younger than 11 years of age.…”

“…In addition to these health disparities, female inmates also have significantly higher rates of psychiatric disorders (Braithwaite,342 R. H. Aday et al Treadwell, & Arriola, 2008), with three quarters of women in state prisons having been diagnosed with a mental health problem at some point in their lives (James & Glaze, 2006). Although prior research has examined the timely recognition of health consequences of incarcerated women who have been victims of sexual assault, much of that research has focused on comparisons with nonincarcerated samples (Raj et al, 2008). Using a life course perspective, we explore to what extent the medical conditions of incarcerated women have been impacted by extensive sexual abuse histories.…”

“…This significant growth in the women's prison population has resulted in a renewed interest in exploring a variety of topics, such as tracing their pathways to prison, identifying special mental and physical health needs, and addressing policy and programming issues on behalf of those responsible for managing this forgotten prison population (DeHart, 2008;Maeve, 2000;Raj et al, 2008). Research has shown that a significant number of women come to prison carrying tragic histories of sexual and physical abuse (Lynch, DeHart, Belknap, & Green, 2013;Messina & Grella, 2006;Severson, Postmus, & Berry, 2005).…”

Assessing Short-Term Outcomes of an Intervention for Women Convicted of Violent Crimes

“…Given that women's motivations for violence and the victims of their violent behaviors frequently differ from those of male-perpetrated violence (Kruttschnitt, 2002;Mann, 1990Mann, , 1996Pollock & Davis, 2005) and that multiple studies have found gender differences when comparing incarcerated men and women (e.g., Fazel et al, 2006;James & Glaze, 2006;Kubiak et al, 2010;Messina, Burdon, Hagopian, & Prendergrast, 2006;Raj et al, 2008), gender-specific and trauma informed services are needed for incarcerated women (Bloom, Owen, & Covington, 2003;Fournier, Hughes, Hurford, & Sainio, 2011;Laux et al, 2008). In particular, incarcerated females with violent offenses represent a distinct population in need of interventions that consider differences in mental health, substance use, anger regulation, and exposure to interpersonal violence and their the women's connections to engagement in violence.…”