Race, Neighborhood Context, and Strategies to Avoid Victimization among Female Probationers and Parolees

• In Event: Feminist Research in Application

Abstract

An established body of literature shows that women have higher levels of fear than men, and that fearful women typically resort to constraining behavioral actions which limit their participation in public life. However, it is unclear whether the strategies women use to avoid victimization are tied to community context, especially for high risk populations, such as women offenders. This study builds on insights from previous research by examining the strategies female probationers and parolees use to avoid victimization and their perception of the effectiveness of such strategies for keeping them safe. It also examines associations of subjective and objective measures of neighborhood context with women’s chosen strategies.

Authors

• Jennifer E. Cobbina, Michigan State University

• Merry Morash, Michigan State University

• Deborah Kashy, Michigan State University

• Sandi W. Smith, Michigan State University