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Multiple traumatic experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder and offending behaviour in female prisoners

Mirza, Khadija; Conway, Lisa; Karatzias, Thanos; Power, Kevin; Woolston, Caroline; Apurva, Prathima; Begley, Amelie; Quinn, Carol; Jowett, Sally; Howard, Ruth; Purdie, Allister

Authors

Khadija Mirza

Lisa Conway

Kevin Power

Caroline Woolston

Prathima Apurva

Amelie Begley

Carol Quinn

Sally Jowett

Ruth Howard

Allister Purdie



Abstract

Background Although Q4 it is well established that prisoners commonly have histories of childhood trauma, little is known about mediators between exposure to trauma and criminal behaviour. Hypotheses We hypothesised that the experience of trauma in adulthood, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and emotional dysregulation would mediate the relationship between childhood traumatic events and later criminal behaviour. Methods Eighty-nine female prisoners were interviewed using standardised scales, in a cross-sectional study design. History of traumatic events, DSM-5 PTSD and emotional regulation were assessed, along with offending and demographic information. A series of regression and mediation analyses were undertaken on the data. Results Almost all (91%) of the 89 women reported both childhood and adulthood trauma. Over half (58%) met the criteria for DSM-5 PTSD. Multiple traumas were significantly associated with seriousness of offence, as indicated by sentence length. Adult experience of trauma was the only significant mediator between childhood trauma and subsequent offending. Conclusions/implications for practice Women who have experienced multiple traumatic events may be more likely to commit serious offences, so it is very important to assess and meet their trauma-related needs. While prisons should never be used as

Citation

Mirza, K., Conway, L., Karatzias, T., Power, K., Woolston, C., Apurva, P., …Purdie, A. (2018). Multiple traumatic experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder and offending behaviour in female prisoners. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 28(1), 72-84. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbm.2043

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 2, 2017
Online Publication Date Jun 20, 2017
Publication Date 2018-02
Deposit Date May 25, 2017
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health
Print ISSN 0957-9664
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 28
Issue 1
Pages 72-84
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/cbm.2043
Keywords Childhood trauma, criminal behaviour, post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional dysregulation,
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/852002

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Copyright Statement
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Karatzias, T., Power, K., Woolston, C., Apurva, P., Begley, A., Mirza, K., Conway, L., Quinn, C., Jowett, S., Howard, R., and Purdie, A. (2017) Multiple traumatic experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder and offending behaviour in female prisoners. Crim Behav Ment Health, doi: 10.1002/cbm.2043., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cbm.2043. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving






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