Do risk factors for re-arrest differ for female and male drunk-driving offenders?
BACKGROUND
The present study investigated gender differences in factors affecting recidivism among 628 female and 659 male drunk-driving offenders. The study population included residents from New Mexico who completed a screening program for offenders and who were still residents when contacted 5 years later.


METHODS
Risk factors for re-arrest in the 5-year period after screening referral were examined using multiple logistic regression models. Predictor variables included gender, age, ethnicity, education, marital status, blood alcohol concentration at arrest, parental alcohol problems, spousal alcohol problems, lifetime use of cannabis, cocaine, or amphetamines, abusive behavior toward spouse, and scores on two standardized assessments.


RESULTS
Risk factors for re-arrest were similar for males and females except that young age predicted higher recidivism among males but not females. The overall 5-year re-arrest rate was 26%-20% for women, 38% for males age 30 and under, and 24% for males age 31 and older.


CONCLUSIONS
Young age predicts re-arrest for males but not for females. Neither the type of risk factors nor the number of risk factors fully explained female offenders' disproportionately lower recidivism rates, compared with young males.
Lapham
S C
SC
Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109, USA. slapham@bhrcs.org
Skipper
B J
BJ
Hunt
W C
WC
Chang
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000523:psychology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011678:Punishment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires