Female Criminality Flashcards
Sheldon and Eleanor Gleuck’s - Five Hundred Delinquent Women (1934)
Longitudinal - First study to focus on female recidivism.
Otto Pollack - The Criminality of Women (1961)
Argued that data sources of crime do not reflect how much female crime really exists.
When women started to enter public spheres they committed more crime, always criminal just didn’t know when they were “homemakers”
Women use sex as a form of manipulation. “Femme Fatale”
Why did Pollack think women were more likely to evade CJS?
- Officer discretion- Women criminals more likely to receive preferential treatment.
-Chivalry hypothesis — Male officers a lot more lenient to women then men, given benefit of doubt, sanctioned less severely.
-Paternalistic Nature of justice officials. Infantilization.
-Crimes committed by women were less likely to be reported.
What are some theories that are wrong about women criminality?
Pieces of theory related to menstruation and sexual activity not substantiated.
- Women do not commit just as much crime as men do, and not at the same level of violence.
How do White women benefit from CJS?
White mothers benefit from shorter, softer sentences especially if criminality had nothing to do with children. More probation sentences since they are seen as being less flight risk.
What is the Evil Woman Hypothesis?
Evil Queen in Snow White example. Women who are jealous, vain, power hungry, duplicity, hiding and masking themselves.
Do not conform to gender roles/norms.
Revenge narrative - They are viewed as “bad women”
Weaponizing sexuality “legitimizes” dehumanization processes, idea of “Madonna” or “whore”.
Agnew’s General Strain Theory (1992)
Three sources of strain:
1. Inability to achieve positive goals
2. Lack or loss of positive influences
3. Negative influences
What are some gendered experiences with strain?
-Girls strained by violence in home, especially DV even if it is not directed at them.
-Negative life events and conflict with parents. Most important influences for girls are parents, care providers, guardians.
Running away one of leading cases for young girls and crimainlity.
Boys more susceptible to negative influences, like peers.
What are the responses to strain?
-Girls internalize anger leading to depression and self-destructive behaviours.
-Girls tend to experience relationship strain which can contribute to offending.
-Males experience strain at much higher level than girls.
What are women’s liberation theories?
Freder Adler and Rita Simon (1975) made significant contributions to study of female criminality.
-Argued that as women become more liberated there is increased chances of engaging in criminal activity.
Research has been criticized for few reasons:
- their prediction about violent/property crimes committed by women.
-Reliance on the women’s liberation movement as basis of their ideals.
Simon’s Opportunities model of Female Crime
Women’s Liberation —> Convergence in Male/Female roles —> Female Employment —> Criminal Opportunities —> Female Crime rates —> Convergence in male/female crime rates.
Hagan’s Power Control Theory (1989)
- Effect of patriarchy in the family leading to differential socialization.
-Patriarchy leads to over rates of female offending, because women’s chances of committing crime are reduced due to control and restriction of their freedom.
-Suggests that when male is in the home likelihood of criminality is low.
-Primarily studied nuclear family.
-All about socialization
What are some flaws with Hagan’s Power Control Theory?
Did not take into account single, divorced, same sex and other family structure dynamics.
Underpinned by patriarchy and capitalism. More separation from places of employment and hone, women started to go into workplace and no longer had same presence in the house.
Feminist Pathways Theory
-Uses a feminist foundation for relations significant life events to offending behaviour.
-Cycle of violence and role of past victimization.
Abuse histories lead to certain types of delinquency, usually no violent status offences.
“Blurred Boundaries” between victim and offender.
