Differences between midlife female offenders and those younger than 40

Abstract

The authors studied 66 women referred for forensic evaluation and classified them into two age groups: 48 women 17-39 years old composed a young adult group and 18 women 40-54 years old composed a midlife group. The midlife group included a significantly larger number of first-time offenders with a higher frequency of medical as well as psychiatric disorders. None of the women in the midlife group was diagnosed as having antisocial personality disorder, but this was the most common diagnosis among the younger women. The authors note the implications of these findings for treatment of older female offenders, especially those in midlife.