A Gendered Strain Theory Approach to Understanding Gender Differences in High Utilization of the Healthcare and Criminal Justice Systems

• In Event: Journeying through Systems of Health Care and Justice: Understanding the Phenomenon of “Cross-Systems Utilization”

Abstract

In 1972’s Delinquency in a Birth Cohort, Marvin Wolfgang wrote that a fraction of the boys in his study were responsible for the vast majority of contacts with police. An important policy implication of his classic study was that a focus on a small number of key individuals could have dramatic implications for their lives, families, communities and the criminal justice system. Today, the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers is applying this concept using cross-systems data, identifying individuals in Camden, New Jersey who frequently use the healthcare and criminal justice systems. In this study, we use a gendered Strain Theory framework to investigate differences in system utilization by gender. This theory posits that women tend to internalize their reactions to strain, contributing to behavioral health conditions, while men externalize the pressure as criminal behavior. We hypothesize that women have much lower criminal justice utilization but higher rates of healthcare utilization. We also hypothesize that women experiencing high multi-system utilization have more severe mental and physical health diagnoses and hospitalizations than men, more limited employment history and education, and more struggles related to children and family. We discuss the extensive policy implications of our findings.

Authors

• Venezia Michalsen, Montclair State University

• Dawn Wiest, Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers