GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA ON CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR: ANALYZING CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND INTERVENTIONS

The main task of this research is to explore the role played by childhood trauma in determining potential future criminal behavior, with special emphasis placed on gender-specific differences and patterns among prisoners. Indeed, childhood traumatic experiences such as abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence are widely recurring factors of particular incisiveness among the prison population. Moreover, the literature reviewed outlines a marked difference in prisoners' processing of trauma related to their gender. A distinctly male tendency, is to externalize trauma through aggression and violence, a natural consequence of the combination of ineffective emotional self-regulation and the social norms that govern the concept of masculinity. On the other hand, women show a strong propensity to internalize events, which finds manifestation in substance addiction and relationship problems. In addition, the reviewed articles emphasize how sociocultural and institutional factors affect the nature of crimes originating from those traumas. Consequently, trauma-informed approaches are strongly needed to understand the roots of criminal conduct, aimed at creating effective and efficient rehabilitation programs. In conclusion, the above study provides an in-depth, clear, and comprehensive overview of the phenomenon, shedding light on the impact that the variable “gender” has in predicting criminal outputs due to childhood trauma, and broadly supports the strong need for action, preventive and therapeutic policies that have foundations in the traumas experienced by offenders.