Understanding Gender and its role in the transition to Adulthood for Justice-Involved Young Adults

• In Event: Lightning Talk: Emerging Scholars In Life-Course Criminology Lightning Talk

Abstract

Young adulthood is a time where adolescents and emerging adults find themselves exploring and trying on different identities as they work towards defining and refining who they are as individuals. This process can be complicated by incarceration and impact aspects of that exploration. This project aimed to gain a better understanding of how justice-involved emerging and young adults understand their gender identities within their experiences and contact with the justice system and how this understanding is interwoven with their perceptions of their own maturation. 23 justice-involved young adults were interviewed using semi-structured, narrative interviews and transcripts were analyzed using an inductive approach. Participants reported that while a negative element of their life, justice involvement can act as a motivator towards maturation and moving into adulthood. While some themes emerged for participants regardless of gender, where there is division is noteworthy for understanding differences in how justice-involved emerging adult men and women may differ in navigating transitioning into adulthood. This research points to the role identity theory may have in advancing our understanding of the impact carceral settings have on gender identity. This talk hopes to illuminate a path forward regarding applying these findings in future research and applied settings.

Author

• Madeline Steward, Kent State University