Criminal Behaviour (Gender Socialisation) Flashcards
What is the gender difference in prison population?
95.4% of criminals in prison are male.
What might explain why more males commit crimes?
Higher testosterone levels and gender stereotypes.
What does the Sex Role Theory say about gender and crime?
Boys and girls are socialised differently; boys are encouraged to be aggressive and take risks, making them more prone to crime.
How does gender identity develop according to socialisation theories?
Through observing, imitating, and reinforcement of gendered behaviours within a culture.
How do children’s toys reinforce gender stereotypes?
They promote strength and intelligence for boys and appearance for girls.
What does Bandura’s Social Learning Theory say about behaviour learning?
People learn by observing and imitating role models.
According to Parsons, what is the role of the nuclear family in gender socialisation?
Fathers act as providers and leaders, while mothers offer emotional support and socialise children.
Why might boys lack a male role model?
Traditionally, fathers were absent due to work, leaving boys to be socialised by their mothers.
What did Cohen suggest about male peer groups?
Boys join all-male peer groups or gangs to develop masculinity, potentially leading to crime.
How does social control differ for girls?
Girls are more supervised and restricted, which discourages criminal behaviour.
What is Carlen’s view on female crime?
Women commit crime when disadvantages (like poverty or abuse) outweigh advantages.
How are women controlled at home, work, and in public?
At home by parents/spouses, at work via the glass ceiling, and in public through fear-based media messages.
What is the Chivalry Hypothesis?
The idea that women commit more crime than reported because men in the justice system are protective and lenient.
What did Pollak (1950) suggest about crime and gender?
Men in the justice system treat women more leniently due to chivalry.
What did Dabbs et al. (1987) find about testosterone and crime?
High testosterone levels were linked to violent crimes, low levels to nonviolent ones.
What did Eriksson et al. (2003) find about hormones and aggression?
A negative correlation between oestradiol levels and aggression in men with alcohol-related violence.
What role do hormones play in crime?
In men, testosterone may promote aggression; in women, hormones like oestradiol may reduce it.
What criticism is there of socialisation theories?
They may be outdated due to evolving gender roles and increasing female workforce participation.
What does Adler (1975) say about feminism and crime?
Women’s liberation may reduce social control, potentially increasing female crime rates.
Despite changes in society, what remains true about gender and crime?
Men still commit significantly more and different types of crimes than women.
