Chapter 6: Theory of Female Delinquency & Offending

Question 1

Ceasear Lombrose and William Ferrero’s

Answer 1

the first two theorists who attempted to explain female offending

Question 2

Lombrose and Ferrero studied & found that…..

Hint: Published the “Female Offender” (1895)

Answer 2

physical differences of women who were incarcerated. They found that women were less evolved than men. .

Question 3

Critics of the Lombroso and Ferrero study was that (3)

Answer 3

1/A small sample size was used
2/Did not considered environmental and structural variables
3/Their study had no scientific basis.
[SVS]

Question 4

The implications of Lombrose and Ferrero’s study was that….

Answer 4

female criminals would possess all the worst characteristics of the female gender, while embodying the criminal tendencies of a man.

Question 5

Sheldon and Elenor Gluek published the “Five Hundred Delinquent Women” (1934) that looked at…

Answer 5

looked at a variety of different factors to explain criminality (influenced by biology, soc, psych, anthro & the role of family on delinquency).
**was also the first study to address recidivism

Question 6

Methodology for the “Five Hundred Delinquent Women” study

Answer 6

studied over long periods of time

compared samples of men and women who were incarcerated.

Question 7

(1961) Pollack argued 2 things within his published study “The criminality of women”

Answer 7

1. criminal data sources didn’t get the true extent on female crime.
   2.felt the women were more likely to evade the criminal justice system
   [DE]

Question 8

Why are women more likely to evade the system, according to Pollack? (4)

Answer 8

Officer discretion
Crimes committed by women were less likely to be reported.
Female criminal receive preferential treatment.
Women have the power because they manipulate men through sex and menstruation
[OLPP]

Question 9

masked criminality of women

Answer 9

women gain power by deceiving men by sexual playacting & menstruation
allows female crime to be underreported

Question 10

Early theories relied on…..

Answer 10

stereotyping

Question 11

Hirschi “Social Bond Theory” (1969)

Answer 11

• macro level & gender neutral crime (failed to look at females)
• basic premise is that bonds have an impact on whether an individual will engage in crime.

Question 12

Based on social bond theory, what are the four reasons humans desist from criminal behavior?

Answer 12

(1) Attachment (2) commitment (3) involvement (4) Belief

Question 13

Sutherland’s Differential Associations Theory (1974)

Answer 13

• focused on peer relationships and crime
• found that criminal behavior is learned through your peers
• nothing about gender :(

Question 14

Merton & Agnew’s strain theory (late 1990s)

Answer 14

The avenue for some individuals to achieve the goals and the means is different and create a strain for some individuals in society
found that…Females tend to experience what is cause relationship strain which can contribute to their offending.

Question 15

Agnew looks at

Answer 15

individual’s psychological sources as it correlates to criminal behavior.

Question 16

3 potential sources for strain

Answer 16

(1) failure to achieve + goals (2) loss of + influences (3) the arrival of - influences

Positive goals, loss of positive influences, arrival of negative influences [PLN]

Question 17

Hagan’s Power control theory (1989)

Answer 17

• suggests that women and girls are socialized differently than men and boys.
• Females chances of committing a crime is reduced because of control and the restriction of their freedom.

Question 18

The Power control theory is criticized because

Answer 18

it only takes into account the nuclear structure families

Question 19

Life course theory suggests

Answer 19

significant events that take place in an individual’s life can predict whether or not that individual will engage in criminal behavior.

Question 20

Life course theory is criticized because

Answer 20

the specifics about what is a significant event is not clearly defined.

Question 21

Black feminist criminologists highlight four themes that can alter the experience of an African American women within the criminal justice system:

Answer 21

–Structural oppression
–Community and culture ideals
–Intimate relationships (family and significant others)
–Individuality and uniqueness of the African American female
[ROUC]

Question 22

Power control theory says that egalitarian structure families ______________

Answer 22

socialize their children in a similar fashion regardless of sex

Question 23

Alder + Simon (1970’s)

• inspired by
• argued that

Answer 23

• inspired by the second wave of feminist movement and the emancipation of women.
• argued that has women become more liberated there is an increase chance of engaging in criminal activity.

Question 24

Alder + Simon’s research has been criticized because

Answer 24

-Prediction about violent and property crimes committed by women.
-Reliance on the women’s liberation movement as the basis for their ideals.
[PR]

Question 25

Analysis of crime statistics between 1960-1973 indicates

Answer 25

that female crimes skyrocketed (so did males)

shows that women crimes are misinterpreted

Question 26

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime focuses on__________ & found that___________

Answer 26

self-control as a single explanation for delinquency and criminal behavior

(1) rooted within the family
(2) early intervention is the only way to deter crime

Question 27

Difference between Micro and Macro theories in relation to offending behaviors

Answer 27

Micro theories : individual differences between law-abiding and law-violating behaviors.
Macro theories of criminality: large scale social explanations for crime

Question 28

Historically female lawbreakers are worse than men b/c

Answer 28

they are breaking their prescribed gender roles

Question 29

Merton’s 5 typologies

Does it accept the cultural goals or institutionalized means?

Answer 29

Conformity (accepts goals accepts mean)
Innovation (accepts goals , not means)
Ritualism (not goals, but the mean)
Retreatism (no goals no means)
Rebellion (all new made goals and means )

Question 30

Differential Association Theory - 5 charactertics

Answer 30

1. Intensity
2. Duration
3. Priority
4. Frequency
5. Rationalization, Justification, & Motivation