Trauma and Abuse among Incarcerated Girls in the United States and Costa Rica

SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://sagepub.com

Y

7

Trauma; Females; Institutionalized Persons; Foreign Countries; Crime; Mental Disorders; Sexual Abuse; Violence; Anxiety; Depression (Psychology); Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Antisocial Behavior; Cross Cultural Studies; Punishment; Public Policy; Correctional Institutions

Costa Rica; United States

10.1177/10534512221114411

1053-4512
1538-4810

Incarcerated girls have disproportionately higher rates of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse compared with their nonincarcerated peers. Failure to address this trauma and abuse can lead to mental health disabilities such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anti-social behaviors. Many girls who experience trauma engage in criminal behaviors as a response to these unresolved issues. The punitive nature of correctional confinement only exacerbates their mental health disabilities. This article examines the correctional confinement experiences for girls with mental health disabilities in the United States, where there is a large population of incarcerated girls, and Costa Rica, a country with fewer incarcerated girls. Policy changes are suggested to minimize the punitive nature of correctional confinement and to enhance the services and support systems available to incarcerated girls with mental health disabilities.

As Provided

2023

EJ1376421