Gender and Crime Flashcards
what are 6 trends and patterns linking gender and crime?
-only 5% of the prison pop is female but they make up 51% of uk pop
-85% of arrests are male
-men are 2x as likely to be on trial for an indictable offence
-98% of sexual offenders are committed by men
-females have a higher average of reoffenses at 4.33
-in 2018/19, out of 671 homicides, 65% of the victims were male
what do OCS claim about crime and why?
crime appears to be a masculine activity, as 86% of all recorded crime is committed by males
what are some trends to do with men and crime?
-by age 40, 1/3 men have a conviction, with fewer that 1/10 women
-men are 5x more likely to be arrested and 11x more likely to go to prison
-average sentence for men in for robbery is 34 months, while women receive 25
-4/5 convicted offenders are male
what did parsons say is a sociological explanation as to why men commit more crime?
the sex role theory
what is the sex role theory?
-it’s all biological
-men are taught to be masculine while women are taught to be feminine
-men are socialised into instrumental role and so are raised to be active and risk taking to fulfil the role, they are taught to reject female gender roles, compensatory compulsory masculinity
-women are socialised into femininity and expressive role and so don’t develop deviant values, they are more likely to consider the consequences and risk of crime
what is the evaluation of the sex role theory explaining male crime?
-too deterministic, not every male turns to gender role and crime
-outdated, no long aligns with society
what is the evaluation of sex role theory and female crime?
-outdated
-deterministic
-Walklate= too deterministic, too much assumption that caring role is biological, roles are a social construct
what did Cohen say about males lacking a role model?
boys are more likely to turn to all male street gangs as a source of a masculine identity to gain status, so they commit acts of toughness, risk taking and delinquency, leading to more crime
who came up with guardians of domestic morality?
heidensohn and carlen
what did heidensohn and carlen say about women and crime?
women are taught they have more to lose than men and more responsibility, they are more likely to think of the victim and not commit crime
-they are more moral than males (guardians of domestic morality)
what did lyng say about crime as enjoyable?
‘edgework’
-thrill gained from acting in ways that are i. the edge between security and danger, pushing the limits to gain buzz
what did katz say about crime as enjoyable?
males are drawn into crime because it’s seductive and thrill seeking
-seductions of crime, crime is appealing to men, men gain pleasure from committing crime
what did heidensohn say about social control?
-females are expected to have a domestic role and so are controlled at home as well as in out public
-they are controlled by the patriarchal society so this reduces the opportunity to offend
-girls face more social control of time, space, bodies and resources
what is a trend to do with females being controlled in public ?
54% of women avoid going outside in the dark compared to only 14% of men
what did messerschmidt say about masculinity?
-masculine behaviour in men
-men must prove their masculinity, hegemonic masculinity (dominant)
-criminal and deviant behaviour are resources used by men to accomplish their masculinity
-men now have to show masculinity through illegitimate means as there has been a decline in traditional masculine jobs
