FEMDRIVE is designed to provide empirical data on the drugs/violence nexus among women. The research will assess the applicability of three conceptual models of this relationship. These are the psychopharmacological, the economic compulsive, and the systemic. The psychopharmacological model suggests that as a result of ingesting specific substances, persons may exhibit irrational and/or violent behavior. The economically-compulsive model suggests that drug users may engage in violent crime in order to support costly drug use. The systemic model refers to the traditionally aggressive patterns of interaction within the illicit drug market. The project will test two hypotheses: (1) that women who engage in drug distribution are more likely to be victims or perpetrators of violence than women not so employed and (2) that those female drug users who most often engage in violent behavior are most likely to be the victims of violence. The research will produce data pertaining to whether the violence manifested by female drug users and/or distributors predates their drug involvements, and whether it extends to various spheres of their lives, e.g, home. A cross-sectional sample of 150 women will be interviewed on a weekly basis of the lower east side of Manhattan. A sub-sample of this group will be selected for longitudinal follow-up. Life history information will be gathered from all subjects. Focused interviews will be undertaken around specific violent episodes. The project will seek to determine the nature, scope, and meaning of violent behavior with the context of the world of drug use and distribution. It is anticipated that the data base to be established will have important policy implications in the areas of drug treatment and prevention, law enforcement, criminal sentencing and corrections.
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