Psychological Characteristics of Convicted Pregnant Women

Abstract

The work is focused on revealing psychological characteristics of pregnant women con-demned to prison sentence. Among other things, we studied their attitudes towards their pregnancy, the coming child, mother’s role and motherhood in general. The materials presented are from an empirical study we carried out in 2020 on a sample of 72 pregnant women serving their prison sentences in penal colonies and open prisons of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia. Social and demographic as well as criminological parameters were studied along with their relationship with characteristics found through psychological meth-odologies. A questionnaire was used which reflected the respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics. The data related to their criminal-law and correctional characteristics were filled in by the personnel in the questionnaire Characteristics of Convicted Pregnant Wom-en. The psychological aspect was studied using the following: 1) Maternal-Foetal Attachment Scale by J. T. Condon; 2) Test of a Pregnant Woman’s Attitudes by I.V. Dobryakov; 3) Methodology for Diagnostics of Psychic States by H.J. Eysenck; 4) My Pregnancy ques-tionnaire; 5) “My Child and I” drawing test by G.G. Filippova. As the results of the study suggest, a pregnant woman can be put into one of three groups needing a specific approach for their prenatal preparation.