Crime And Deviance - Crime And Gender - Hillary Allen & Chivalry Thesis (1989)

Question 1

Hillary Allen

Answer 1

Female sociologist who conducted a study to prove the chivalry factor/thesis

Question 2

Define chivalry and how the CJS includes it (2)

Answer 2

• refers to courteous and respectful behaviour towards women
• some claim that CJS is more lenient towards women, and this distorts the true rate of crime in people’s minds

Question 3

Define chivalry and how the CJS includes it (2)

Answer 3

• refers to courteous and respectful behaviour towards women
• some sociologists claim that CJS is more lenient towards women, and this distorts the true rate of crime in people’s minds

Question 4

Describe Allen’s study conducted in 1989 (4)

Answer 4

• motoring offences in England and Wales
• same offences, 73% women and 54% men were fined
  
  • more women were fined, while more men were sentenced to prison
• women exaggerate femininity when pulled over, more likely to be treated leniently

Question 5

How does this effect official crime statistics? (2)

Answer 5

• womens crimes less likely to enter the official crime stats
• mis-leadng people on women’s true crime rates

Question 6

Eval/counter-argument of Allen’s research (2)

Answer 6

• use of fixed traffic cameras in society
• objective method for recording crime leaves no room for personal bias

Question 7

Eval/counter-argument against chivalry factor (1)

Answer 7

• female offenders treated more severely by the CJS as they are seen as double-deviant as they contravene societal expectations

Question 8

Statistics that support chivalry thesis/factor (3 stats from 2009)

Answer 8

• 11% of women, yet 18% of men convicted of shoplifting were give a custodial sentence
• 11% of women, yet 30% of men convicted of ABH were given a custodial sentence
• women spent an average of 25 months in prison for robbery, but men spent an average of 34 months

Question 9

contemporary example that supports chivalry thesis (4 including source)

Answer 9

• source: Daily Mail newspaper article, March 2014
• male victim, Ronnie Lee, attacked unprovoked by estate agent, Yasmin Thomas
• she was given an 18 month suspension, despite this being her 18th conviction for assault
• victim stated that he felt courts leniency was based on how she was a slim, pretty woman