Employing a life-course framework, this research examines how various relationship typologies expands Sampson and Laub’s (2003) discussion of ‘marriage’ as a crucial mechanism involved in desistence. Moreover, recent contributions to life-course theory has identified a void in the literature in regards to how ‘turning points’ operate within female offenders. As such, this research fills those gaps by re-conceptualizing relationship typologies and focusing on the similarities between marriage and relationships. Two research questions are explored: If marriage is a turning point for crime, do non-marital relationships have a similar effect? If so, do different qualities and typologies of relationship status provoke similar mechanisms found within marriage? And second, if relationships status does have an effect in desisting from crime, how does the stability of the relationship vary in the likelihood of desistence? Through a mixed methods approach, a semi-structured interview and survey was administered to female detainees (n=27) at a medium-sized local jail/detention center. Results indicated that relationship typologies serve as a durable indicator to the onset and the desistence of criminal activity. Likewise, the results indicated a positive relationship between criminality and delinquent male counter-parts when defined as a significant other. Furthermore, female inmate’s cohabitation with a delinquent significant other was associated with poor relationship ‘stability’ and with illicit substance abuse lifestyles. Additional areas of concern surfaced, suggesting a need for further investigation for the interaction effects for illicit drug use, children, and history of abuse as factors that can both provoke and insulate female criminality.
","abstract_html":"<p>Employing a life-course framework, this research examines how various relationship typologies expands Sampson and Laub’s (2003) discussion of ‘marriage’ as a crucial mechanism involved in desistence. Moreover, recent contributions to life-course theory has identified a void in the literature in regards to how ‘turning points’ operate within female offenders. As such, this research fills those gaps by re-conceptualizing relationship typologies and focusing on the similarities between marriage and relationships. Two research questions are explored: If marriage is a turning point for crime, do non-marital relationships have a similar effect? If so, do different qualities and typologies of relationship status provoke similar mechanisms found within marriage? And second, if relationships status does have an effect in desisting from crime, how does the stability of the relationship vary in the likelihood of desistence? Through a mixed methods approach, a semi-structured interview and survey was administered to female detainees (n=27) at a medium-sized local jail/detention center. Results indicated that relationship typologies serve as a durable indicator to the onset and the desistence of criminal activity. Likewise, the results indicated a positive relationship between criminality and delinquent male counter-parts when defined as a significant other. Furthermore, female inmate’s cohabitation with a delinquent significant other was associated with poor relationship ‘stability’ and with illicit substance abuse lifestyles. Additional areas of concern surfaced, suggesting a need for further investigation for the interaction effects for illicit drug use, children, and history of abuse as factors that can both provoke and insulate female criminality. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hayden, Emily Ann"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Justice Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:25Z","subjects":["Female Criminality","Female Offending","Gendered Theory","Life-Course Theory","Criminology and Criminal Justice"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2015 Emily Ann Hayden"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/271","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hayden, Emily Ann"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Justice Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Female Criminality","Female Offending","Gendered Theory","Life-Course Theory","Criminology and Criminal Justice"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2015 Emily Ann Hayden"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/271"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Employing a life-course framework, this research examines how various relationship typologies expands Sampson and Laub’s (2003) discussion of ‘marriage’ as a crucial mechanism involved in desistence. Moreover, recent contributions to life-course theory has identified a void in the literature in regards to how ‘turning points’ operate within female offenders. As such, this research fills those gaps by re-conceptualizing relationship typologies and focusing on the similarities between marriage and relationships. Two research questions are explored: If marriage is a turning point for crime, do non-marital relationships have a similar effect? If so, do different qualities and typologies of relationship status provoke similar mechanisms found within marriage? And second, if relationships status does have an effect in desisting from crime, how does the stability of the relationship vary in the likelihood of desistence? Through a mixed methods approach, a semi-structured interview and survey was administered to female detainees (n=27) at a medium-sized local jail/detention center. Results indicated that relationship typologies serve as a durable indicator to the onset and the desistence of criminal activity. Likewise, the results indicated a positive relationship between criminality and delinquent male counter-parts when defined as a significant other. Furthermore, female inmate’s cohabitation with a delinquent significant other was associated with poor relationship ‘stability’ and with illicit substance abuse lifestyles. Additional areas of concern surfaced, suggesting a need for further investigation for the interaction effects for illicit drug use, children, and history of abuse as factors that can both provoke and insulate female criminality.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Intimate Partners in Crime: Utilizing Life Course to Examine Female Criminality"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Hayden, Emily Ann"],"dc:description.abstract":["Employing a life-course framework, this research examines how various relationship typologies expands Sampson and Laub’s (2003) discussion of ‘marriage’ as a crucial mechanism involved in desistence. Moreover, recent contributions to life-course theory has identified a void in the literature in regards to how ‘turning points’ operate within female offenders. As such, this research fills those gaps by re-conceptualizing relationship typologies and focusing on the similarities between marriage and relationships. Two research questions are explored: If marriage is a turning point for crime, do non-marital relationships have a similar effect? If so, do different qualities and typologies of relationship status provoke similar mechanisms found within marriage? And second, if relationships status does have an effect in desisting from crime, how does the stability of the relationship vary in the likelihood of desistence? Through a mixed methods approach, a semi-structured interview and survey was administered to female detainees (n=27) at a medium-sized local jail/detention center. Results indicated that relationship typologies serve as a durable indicator to the onset and the desistence of criminal activity. Likewise, the results indicated a positive relationship between criminality and delinquent male counter-parts when defined as a significant other. Furthermore, female inmate’s cohabitation with a delinquent significant other was associated with poor relationship ‘stability’ and with illicit substance abuse lifestyles. Additional areas of concern surfaced, suggesting a need for further investigation for the interaction effects for illicit drug use, children, and history of abuse as factors that can both provoke and insulate female criminality.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/271"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2015 Emily Ann Hayden"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["Female Criminality","Female Offending","Gendered Theory","Life-Course Theory","Criminology and Criminal Justice"],"dc:title":["Intimate Partners in Crime: Utilizing Life Course to Examine Female Criminality"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Justice Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:25Z"}