Drug addiction is a problem that affects both male and females in every demographic. However the individual effects can be felt differently due to the varying biological and psychological aspects of an addict. According to Håkansson & Jesionowska (2018), addiction particularly substance abuse is a major predictor of criminal behavior and criminal recidivism. The biological and psychological aspects of addiction contribute to criminality among women, since they dispose them to the risks of being victims of perpetrators of criminal behavior. The relationship between addiction and women criminality is exemplified as a vicious cycle that exists in a society. Potenza (2013) explains that women who are addicts are at a greater risk of being victims of abuse and violence from their partners, while substance addiction may be used as a form of coping mechanism for the women.
The correlation between drug abuse and violent behavior is relatively high. Potenza (2013) affirms that women that have been treated for drug addiction have reported to have engaged in criminal behaviors such as violent attacks, mugging, physical assault or mental abuse of those around them. The rate of escalation of addiction among women makes them prone to criminality and criminal recidivism; once a woman is addicted to a substance they are likely to increase their rate of consumption and are willing to engage in criminal behaviors to fund their addiction. Additionally, their psychological functioning is altered by the drugs. The risk of addiction is heightened due to the ways in which the specific brain pathways and chemicals that motivate the various aspects of addictions and vulnerability function (Potenza, 2013). In women, these pathways and chemicals make them more prone to addiction; thus, once a woman begins to abuse drugs they are more prone to withdrawal symptoms if they attempt to stop.
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References
Håkansson, A., & Jesionowska, V. (2018). Associations between substance use and type of crime in prisoners with substance use problems - a focus on violence and fatal violence. Substance abuse and rehabilitation , 9 , 1–9. doi:10.2147/SAR.S143251
Potenza M. N. (2013). Biological contributions to addictions in adolescents and adults: prevention, treatment, and policy implications. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine , 52 (2 Suppl 2), S22–S32. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.05.007
