Not until recently, the view of a typical addict or drug user was not associated with
women, in that it was acceptable for white women to engage in the regular use of prescription & illegal drugs.
Many women used drugs as a means of
coping in order to receive the pressures associated with gender role expectations.
A major impact of women & drug addictions was found to occur from the
war on drugs
4 primary pathways in which women start using drugs are due to factors of
young exposure to drugs & alcohol, childhood victimization, mental health struggles, & economic challenges
4 significant risk factors of drug addiction among women include
homelessness, violence, & incarceration
Drug abuse within women results in the common occurrence of
undetected pregnancy in which proper prenatal care is forgone, & the unborn child faces serious potential effects.
The legislation created during the war on drugs changed several court process that resulted in
the sentences of drug offenders to more firm & longer incarceration w/ women receiving longer sentences
The results of increased prison time for drug offenders by the war on drugs movement has caused
increase in court backlog as well as the rate of overcrowding in prisons
The offense women are most likely to engage in revolve around
property crimes primarily for economic reasons & or to support addiction
Pink collar references
female engagement in property crimes
It is common for female offenders to have a primary job of
shoplifting in which they sell their stolen items for profit.
Another common crime among women offenders is
robbery in which typically is done solo.
Case studies involving women & bank robberies have shown historically that
male offenders have dominated the crime of bank robbery
famous case study of female bank robbers include 3 major cases such as
Bonnie & clyde (1910), Patricia Hearst (1974), & Lee Grace Dougherty (2011)
3 common forms of prostitution include
escort services, massage parlors, & brothels
The most visible form of sex work is
street level prostitution which is done typically for economic purposes
Typically, women who engage in prostitution have a history of
abuse
Females that participate in prostitution are likely to
witness & become victims of violence while on the streets.
In addition to violence, many women who engage in prostitution are at risk for
developing a drug addiction as a coping mechanism for life on the streets.
Among female prostitutes the significant increase of
crack cocaine use has been obsevered
While prostitution is illegal in many states, it is legal in
parts of Nevada where it is mandated work is done in brothels with weekly std checks
The purpose of legalized prostitution in nevada was designed to
decrease the risk & violence wo