Gender, Criminality, and Victimization: Implications and Consequences for Mental Health

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

In criminal justice, the gender-crime relation is well-established but complicated. Women and men often have to psychologically and behaviorally negotiate between their criminal and victimization experiences and their gender identities within a culture of strong gender norms and roles. Three papers present data on the psychological and behavioral processes underlying the gender-crime-victimization intersection and its implications and consequences for mental health. Veysey draws from the Insanity Defense Reform Project to present the effects of gender and gender role incongruence on the determination of criminal responsibility in cases in which insanity was raised as a defense. Based on data from a youth sample in the justice system for mental health treatment, Herrera and Boxer demonstrate how gender moderates the relations between individual and contextual risk factors and substance use outcomes. Finally, Sachs and colleagues argue that the discrepancy between gender role expectations and past criminality among women and victimization among men affect mental health. Using an implicit social cognition framework, they demonstrate that such effects are moderated by implicit criminal identities among women and implicit victim identities among men. All papers will discuss the implications of the research for mental health interventions among male and female offenders and victims.

Sub Unit

• Area III: Perspectives on Crime and Criminal Behavior / 1: Biological, Bio-social, and Psychological Perspectives

Individual Presentations

• The Role of Gender in Risk for Substance Use among Justice-Involved Youth - Carolina Herrera, Rutgers University; Paul Boxer, Rutgers University

• Gender Role Incongruence and the Adjudication of Criminal Responsibility - Bonita Veysey, Rutgers University

• Implicit Criminal and Victim Identities Moderate the Effect of Gender and Past Criminal and Victim Experiences on Poor Mental Health - Luis M. Rivera, Rutgers University; Nicole Marie Sachs, Rutgers University; Bonita Veysey, Rutgers University; Marina Henein, Rutgers University

Chair

• Marina Henein, Rutgers University