An article by Jacqueline Lee in the Nov. 6 edition of the Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology examines the impact of relationships on illicit behavior among women who are criminal offenders. Lee is an assistant professor of criminal justice in the School of Public Service.
The piece, Better Together? Intimate Partner Effects on Offending Women, explores the commonly-held hypothesis that the effects of such relationships are conditional on their quality, as well as the behavior and characteristics of the partner. However, contrary to expectations, Lee’s research found that romantic dissolution did not negatively impact the sample of women studied. It also found that a high-quality relationship is not a protective factor, contrary to research among male offenders.
Lee’s research suggests that partner behavior may be more important than the quality of the offending woman’s relationship with her partner. Results link drug use and participation in the illicit economy to factors mostly outside of a woman’s relationship status and quality.