Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

School

Psychology

Advisor

Charles Diebold

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the number and nature of clusters that emerged as common individual patterns across a set of psychopathology, drug use, drug and alcohol issues, psychosocial stressors, and personal demographics among adult female sexual offenders. A secondary purpose was to determine whether the resulting clusters were independent of characteristics of the offense and of the victim, and the relationship between the offender and victim. These data were analyzed and viewed through the lens of the attachment theory. This study used a nonexperimental correlational and static group comparison archival research designs and secondary analysis of the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates collected by the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics. A two-step cluster analysis was used to generate groups of cases (i.e., clusters) that shared similar characteristics, using Campbell and Stanley’s static group comparison design; the resulting clusters were examined for independence across 12 exploratory variables. Two clusters emerged among a set of eight variables and had a cluster quality of 0.6. Clusters differed on working 30 days prior to incarceration, psychosocial stressors index, and index of drugs ever used. Three exploratory variables were found to have an association to the clusters. Identified common factors among this population can help understand their profile and pathway to criminality as well as their rehabilitation. Findings may be used by administrators for positive social change in understanding adult female offenders.

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