Childhood antecedents of adult violent offending in a group of female felons

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential antecedents of violent felony arrest in a sample of female felons. Among male populations, early onset conduct disorder (CD) with progression to adult anti-social personality disorder (ASPD) is associated with increased criminality and aggression. Conduct disorder is associated with a worsened trajectory of alcohol dependence in men. These factors likely have a synergistic contribution to male adult violent offending. Existing work suggests that CD, ASPD, and severe alcohol dependence may represent an externalizing endophenotype, which is, at least in part, genetically conferred. These associations have not been well studied in female populations. The author examined a sample (N = 130) of female mid-sentence felons to determine associations between adult arrest for violent felony with child and young adult antecedents, including CD and alcohol dependence. Data were gathered through administration of the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism II (SSAGA II). CD had high prevalence (40.8%), as did ASPD (31.4%) and alcohol dependence (43.8%). Women convicted of violent felonies were more likely to have CD with progression to ASPD, and alcohol dependence. Both alcohol dependence and CD were independently associated with violent offending. These data suggest that the most serious female offenders have psychopathology similar to that of males and that the trajectory of disease and etiology of violent behavior may not be as gender specific as previously presumed.