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Same but Different: Constructions of Female Violence in Forensic Mental Health
- IJFAB: International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics
- Indiana University Press
- Volume 4, Number 1, Spring 2011
- pp. 41-68
- Article
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Feminist analyses address the way differences between the sexes are conceptualized and operationalized in society. In this paper, I discuss how violence by men and women is conceptualized as different in the psychological scientific discourses of forensic mental health. I suggest that these empirical discourses perpetuate assumptions of difference and discourage examination of similarities. Specifically, I will argue that neutralization techniques are frequently used that reduce women's agency and responsibility for violence compared to their male counterparts, and compared to nonoffending women. I discuss the implications for violence research and interventions for violence perpetrators.