Gender Differences in Desistance From Crime: How Do Social Bonds Operate Among Formerly Incarcerated Emerging Adults?

Abstract

Life course theory suggests that the social bond of marriage can serve as a pivotal turning point toward the termination of criminal activity, particularly for men. Yet limited research has investigated how young adult men and women utilize social bonds forged outside of marriage to facilitate desistance from crime. This study explored gender differences in how formerly incarcerated emerging adults navigate and utilize their social bonds with peers and romantic partners on the journey toward criminal desistance. Two semi-structured qualitative interviews and a social mapping exercise were conducted with 14 emerging adults (seven men and seven women) with extensive histories of juvenile incarceration. With regard to friends, the young women found peer support often inconsistent, leading to an overarching theme of self-reliance. Some of the young men used peer supports with an overarching theme of reciprocity, while others used peer supports very sparingly in order to avoid contact with criminal associations or potential danger. With regard to romantic partnerships, these relationships proved much more supportive of desistance goals for the young men and the contrary was the case for the young women in heterosexual partnerships. These findings add to a growing literature about the process of desistance for emerging adults.

What I’d Tell My 16-Year-Old Self: Criminal Desistance, Young Adults, and Psychosocial Maturation

“…Eligibility criteria included (a) male, (b) on probation or parole following confinement in jail or prison, and (c) age criteria of 18 to 25 years (for seven of the nine groups) or 29 years and older (for two of the groups; see paragraph below for further explanation). We did not include women as their desistance processes and trajectories are often quite different from those of men (Abrams & Tam, 2016;Fader & Traylor, 2015), and with an exploratory study we did not wish to add additional points of variance. We conducted direct recruitment of potential participants at Southern California agencies that provided reentry services, such as job training, workshops, and counseling, as well as at probation offices.…”

A Profile Study of Elderly Offenders in the Community Criminal Courts of Singapore: Theorizing Geriatric Criminality

“…These older offenders faced a “dual transition” of both entering a new stage in their adulthood (“developmental transition”) and reintegrating into society beyond the prison (“correctional transition”) (Altschuler & Brash, 2004). A sense of moral deregulation, as understood from the “integration-regulation” perspective, accompanied role discontinuity and role strain particularly for men (Abrams & Tam, 2018), often finding expression in crime and drug abuse. The role-strain crisis could also be understood against two inter-related macro-structural factors affecting offending and recidivist behavior amongst the elderly offenders: first, Singapore’s conception of “successful aging” with its emphasis on the agentic potential of individuals and “ethos of self-reliance,” and second, the city-state’s economic restructuring efforts and its transition to a knowledge-based globalized economy (Ye, 2016).…”

Facilitating Desistance from Aggression and Crime

“…They interviewed seven males and seven females who were formerly incarcerated and identified sources of social support that were important in helping the participants to get their life back on track. In contrast to studies emphasizing the importance of relational bonds for women, the young women in the study of Abrams and Tam (2018) wanted to be more self-reliant and were hesitant to seek help from friends. They were struggling with multiple difficult relationships and did not receive support for their desistance goals from their partners.…”

“…The relationship between social bonds and desistance from crime in emerging adulthood was studied qualitatively by Abrams and Tam (2018). They interviewed seven males and seven females who were formerly incarcerated and identified sources of social support that were important in helping the participants to get their life back on track.…”