Date of Award

2000

Degree Name

M.A. in Psychology

Department

Department of Psychology

Abstract

This paper examined the relation between witnessing or experiencing childhood violence and its impact on adult women’s criminal and/or violent acts, and their attitudes towards violence. It was hypothesized that women who committed criminal and/or violent acts would significantly differ in witnessing or experiencing childhood violence than those who did not commit criminal and/or violent acts. Further, it was also hypothesized that attitudes towards violence would also be positively correlated with having witnessed or experienced violence as a child. Finally, it was also hypothesized that women who committed criminal and/or violent acts would have significantly different attitudes towards violence than those who did not commit criminal and/or violent acts. Questionnaires were administered to adult women, both incarcerated and non-incarcerated, enrolled in a college program. Results indicated that women who committed criminal witnessed and experienced more childhood violence than those women who did not commit criminal acts. Further, results also indicated that women who have committed violent acts experienced more childhood violence than women who did not commit violent acts. Finally, it was also shown that those who witnessed or experienced childhood violence, and who committed criminal or violent acts, tended to blame others, their victims, or society for criminal or violent acts.

Keywords

Violence in children, Female offenders Attitudes

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2000, author

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