gender and crime Flashcards
who do criminal statistics generally portray as more likely to commit crime?
men
-in england and wales men account for 3/4 of all convicted, 85% of which are convicted for indictable offences
-95% of prisoners are men
-men are 60x more likely to commit sex offences, 14x theft, 7x criminal damage
what types of crime are seen as stereotypically female?
-shoplifting
-petty theft
-property offences (bar burglary)
-fraud (especially benefits)
-prostitution
what types of crime are seen as stereotypically male?
-violent crime
-assault
-sexual offences
-white collar crime
-corporate crime
what is the chivalry thesis?
-pollack
-suggests the male dominated CJS has a protective view on women offending, women are treated more leniently because they seem ‘in need of protecting’
evidence for the chivalry thesis
-home office says women are consistently treated more leniently, with first offenders half as likely to be given immediate imprisonment than men
-police generally regard women as less of a threat, so give them more warnings/cautions
evidence against the chivalry thesis
-the reason women get less severe treatment is because they commit less severe offences
-walklate - the crimes that result in imprisonment of women are less severe than those that imprison men
-heidensohn - although women commit less serious offences, those who violate socially acceptable patterns of feminine behaviour risk harsher punishment
-carlen - double jeopardy = women are judged on their traditional role rather than the severity of the offence (evil woman theory)
what is the evil woman theory?
women who are seen as sexually promiscuous or neglectful mothers are perceived by CJS as worse than men for similar situations
(only really applies to abuse/neglect)
what is the sex role theory?
(generally associated with functionalism and new-right)
-parsons = socialisation
-heidensohn = social control
-dunscombe + marsden = opportunity
-gender socialization means women’s traditional roles were looking after children, which is now combined with paid employment, teaching women to be less competitive/ tough which turns them away from risk-taking crime (and gives them less opportunities
what is the control theory in relation to gender and crime?
-heidensohn - differences in gender arise from their different social circumstances, opportunities, and informal/formal social control processes
-carlen = studied 39 15-46 y/o women who were convicted for a range of crimes, found women were encouraged to perform from the class deal and gender deal
what are the class and gender deals?
-class deal = material rewards that arise from working in paid employment, enabling women to purchase things like consumer goods
-gender deal = rewards that arise from fulfilling roles in the family and home, with material and emotional support from the breadwinner
-these aren’t available to some (eg abusive partner) so they turn to crime instead since they have little to lose
