2. Do Women Commit More Crime?

Question 1

1. Chivarly Thesis

Answer 1

• Thesis argues that most criminal justice agents (e.g. police officers) are men and are socialised to act in a ‘chivalrous’ way towards women.

• Pollack: argues that men have a protective attitude towards women.
• Criminal justice system is thus more lenient with women and so their crimes are less likely to end up in the official statistics. (invalid picture)
• Self-report studies: individuals are asked about what crimes they have committed.
- Following SR studies suggest …

• Graham and Bowling: found in their research that although males were more likely to offend, the difference was smaller than that recorded in the official statistics.

• Official statistics sometimes prove this theory…
- 1 in 9 female offenders receive a prison sentence for shoplifting (1 in 5 males)

Question 2

2. Evidence Against the Chivalry Thesis

Answer 2

1. Box: review of self-report studies concludes that women who commit serious offences are not treated more favourably than men.
2. Buckle and Farrington: study of shoplifting witnessed twice as many males shoplifting as females. (male / female offenders in official stats were roughly equal)
   - This suggests women shoplifters may be more likely to be prosecuted.
3. Under reporting of male crimes against women
   - Yearnshire: a woman typically suffers 35 assaults before reporting domestic violence

Question 3

3. Bias Against Women

Answer 3

• Heidensohn: courts treat females more harshly when they deviate from gender norms

• Double Standards: courts punish girls but not boys for premature sexual activity
- Sharpe: in analysis of 55 youth worker records, 7/11 were referred for support because they sexually active (0/44 boys for this reason)

• Carlen: when women are jailed, it is less for the seriousness of their crime but the court’s assessment of them as wives, mothers and daughters…
- Found that Scottish judges were much more likely to jail women whose children were in care than women who they saw as good mothers.

• Walklate: in rape cases, it is not the defendant who is on trial but the victim.

• Victim has to prove her respectability in order to have her evidence accepted
• Smart: quotes judge who said “women who say no do not always mean no”

Question 4

Summary

Answer 4

1. Chivalry Thesis
2. Evidence Against Chivalry Thesis
3. Bias Against Women