Reintegration is Not One-Size-Fits-All: Gender and the Reintegration of Women Convicted of Sexual Offences

• Author / Creator

  Doran, Larissa

• This thesis explores the ways gender plays a role in the reintegration of women convicted of sexual offences in Canada. Through the use of 15 qualitative interviews, I examine how staff and volunteers working with these women understand and approach their reintegration, and seek to determine what programs or supports currently exist for them in Canada. I find that women who have a co-accused require a different reintegrative approach than those who do not, as often their offences stem more from dependency than sexual deviancy. Additionally, I find that the stigma faced by both women convicted of sexual offences and their victims for failing to do their gender properly results in underreporting, and thus a serious lack of reintegrative services and support for these women in community. Moreover, those who work with women convicted of sexual offences can be biased in their beliefs about the danger of these women based on the expectations surrounding their gender, thus further contributing to a lack of services and support. Based on my research, there are currently no community reintegration programs specifically for women convicted of sexual offences in Canada. To improve the reintegrative experience for women convicted of sexual offences, gender-based training can be implemented for staff and volunteers who work in this field, and more communication and information sharing can take place to support others in this niche and developing area.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • sexual offending
  • women offenders
  • gender
  • reintegration
  • community reintegration
  • female sexual offender

• Graduation date

  Fall 2022

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-hd87-tz70

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.