In their words: A qualitative analysis of the overlap in victimization and offending

The strong and consistent relationship between criminal involvement and victimization is one of the most persistent documented findings within criminological research. However, there is little study on the nature and extent of why this overlap exists with even less research focusing on the perspective of the offenders who identify themselves as victims. The current study analyzes the personal experiences of female offenders at the Greene County Jail, Missouri. Our findings indicate a substantial overlap in lifestyle and risk behavior of female offenders who also identify as victims of crime. Important theoretical and policy implications are discussed.