ABSTRACT
Prison violence is a significant social issue and a major problem worldwide, and understanding whether relevant risk factors are gendered is particularly important, given the increased rates of incarceration for women. However, much of the research to date has predominantly focused on male prisoners. Of the few gender-comparative studies that have investigated gendered risk predictors of prison violence, evidence suggests that there are both gender-specific differences and similarities in correlates of violent prison misconduct. Studies also show that both individual and situational experiences contribute to prison violence; however, more research is needed to understand how and in what ways this occurs. Identifying risk factors for prison violence and developing accurate models for risk prediction is essential for making prisons safer places for prisoners and correctional staff. With a lack of comparative analyses of violent prison misconduct and evidence of differences in the origins and continuance of female and male criminality, this chapter seeks to examine the current knowledge base regarding gendered predictors of prison violence within an ecological framework.
