Desistance and Persistence: Women and Habitual Violence in Late Victorian and Edwardian England

Historicized research on female habitual criminality provides insight into the interactions and struggles of marginalized women. Female recidivists, forming a large proportion of habitual offenders, prompted fears among Victorian and Edwardian contemporaries over the efficacy of the justice system....

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Di Méo, Grace (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2025
In: Women & criminal justice
Year: 2025, Volume: 35, Issue: 6, Pages: 426-443
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Violent Crime
Recidivism
habitual offending
Female offending
Criminal Justice System
Description
Summary:Historicized research on female habitual criminality provides insight into the interactions and struggles of marginalized women. Female recidivists, forming a large proportion of habitual offenders, prompted fears among Victorian and Edwardian contemporaries over the efficacy of the justice system. Recent research indicates that recidivism was a gendered process, women facing greater marginalization and stigmatization before, during and after offending than men, yet there remains little discussion focusing specifically on violent offending. This article examines violent female recidivism in the late Victorian and Edwardian period, focusing on women’s entries, desistance and persistence in violence and at how reoffending impacted their post-offending lives.
ISSN:1541-0323
DOI:10.1080/08974454.2023.2228759