Amber Joy Powell, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology and researcher affiliate in the Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI), has published a recent study investigating sexual violence towards incarcerated youth within state institutions.
Through a series of interviews to understand the first-hand experiences of incarcerated individuals, Powell examined the “policies, practices, and social relations” within state institutions (such as prisons, detention centers, and group homes) that she argues create the structural conditions that produce this violence.
While prior research has investigated the conditions in state institutions that lead to these corrosive environments, no research has specifically looked at their impact on youth.
To further understand these conditions, Powell conducted interviews with 23 formerly incarcerated youth, all who had experienced sexually violative acts in either a correctional or residential style facility. The individuals hailed from a range of backgrounds.
She asked the individuals about their childhood leading to their arrest and confinement, their experience in state institutions, and their lives after release.
“Having a conversation with someone who has experienced various forms of sexual trauma within these settings allows us to better understand the short- and long-term impacts of this trauma for survivors. It allows an opportunity to tell people's stories in a more holistic way,” Powell says.
From the conversations, Powell analytically pinpointed three themes: sexual degradation, underground sexual economies, and institutional denial of sexual misconduct.
The sexual degradation theme revealed that strip searches, forced physical contact, and routine surveillance in bathrooms and bedrooms, she argues, were “normalized” as necessary to maintain safety in the institutions.
Powell discovered a gender imbalance in how these acts were perceived: women drew parallels between these policies and prior sexual abuse, while men adapted to the practices and minimized any sexual undertones.
The underground sexual economy theme shed light on how adult staff would offer material goods (e.g. snacks and toiletries) and romantic relationships in exchange for sexual favors from the incarcerated youth.
This dynamic was often fueled by the power asymmetry between staff and the incarcerated youth.
Finally, Powell discovered that institutions “ignored, silenced, and gaslit” claims of sexual victimization. The incarcerated individuals were told the acts were a standard part of their confinement and a consequence of their criminal behavior.
“There are particular vulnerabilities, including lack of legal resources and fear of retaliation, among incarcerated individuals that make it difficult for them to disclose and much less legally address violence,” Powell explains.
“Age adds another dimension of inequality into this mix given the age difference between confined youth and the adult staff that supervise and surveil them.”
Altogether, Powell argues that, based on her findings, despite the state’s promise to protect youth, policies and procedures within state institutions construct a system that facilitate acts of sexual control and violence towards youth, under the pretense of safety and security.
Powell hopes her research speaks to long-term changes in the structure and system of juvenile incarceration.
“My hope is that my research contributes to ongoing conversations and actions to reduce youth correctional facilities across the country and invest in community alternatives that don't require the same invasive treatment (e.g., strip searches, body cavity searches) that many youths continue to experience today,” she says.
The study, which Powell was the sole author, was published in Social Forces.
To learn more about the CSSI researcher affiliate program and ways to become involved, click here.
To receive emails about CSSI news and opportunities in support of social science research across the University of Iowa campus, within our communities, and beyond, subscribe here.