Gender and Crime

Question 1

Describe official statistics for gender differences in offending/ sentencing/ victims

Answer 1

• 4/5 convicts in England and Wales are male
• higher proportion female for property offences
• higher proportion male for sexual offences
• males more likely to reoffend
• female crimes less likely to be reported

Question 2

Explain Pollak’s concept of the chivalry thesis

Answer 2

• most criminal justice agents (men) socialised to act chivalrous and protective of women
• more lenient with women
• questions validity of official statistics

1/9 receive sentence for shoplifting, 1/5 men

evidence against: many male crimes unreported, sexual assault crimes

Heidensohn= bias towards women, double standards, motherhood

Question 3

Parson’s sex role theory

Answer 3

• boys aggressive, risk taking,(instrumental)
• girls gentle and tender (expressive)
• feminists criticised this

Question 4

Heidensohn’s patriarchal control thesis

Answer 4

• women are controlled, limited opportunities to offend
• control at home: childcare, domestic tasks
• dobash + dobash, domestic violence. control through financial power
• girls bedroom culture 54% women avoid going out after dark
• control at work, sexual harassment

Question 5

Carlen’s class and gender deals

Answer 5

class deal= work, offered material rewards
gender deal= emotional rewards from husband

crime becomes more likely if these deals collapse, only route e.g lose job, husband lack of emotion

Question 6

Adler’s liberation thesis

Answer 6

As women become liberated from patriarchy, crimes become more frequent and serious
- greater opportunities at work e.g commit fraud

• 1950s female offending 1/7 1990s 1/6

eval= most female criminals WC, not influenced by liberation, female crime rose before liberation movement

Question 7

Gender and victimisation

Answer 7

• more women victims of intimate violence 31%
• 10x more women sexually assaulted

Question 8

Messerschmidt’s views on masculinity and crime

Answer 8

Masculinity is a social constuct/ accomplishment
- hegemonic masculinity is the most dominant
white MC youths, white WC youths (Willis), black WC youths (gang)

eval= not all men use crime for masculinity

Question 9

Winlow’s theorised link between globalisation
and crime

Answer 9

globalisation led to decline of traditional manual jobs unable to express masculinity.
Winlow bouncers in Sunderland can demonstrate masculinity through violence.
- men use bodily capital to maintain reputation