Gender and Crime

Question 1

What are some stats that show gender patterns of crime?

Answer 1

Men 15x more likely to commit homicide
-TV licence evasion most likely crime to be commited by women (75%)
-96% of prison population is men
-By age of 40, 41% of women have criminal convictions vs 32% of men

Question 2

What is the Chivalry Thesis?

Answer 2

Pollak
-Most Criminal justice agents are men so less likely to prosecute women as they feel protective of them/ ‘damsels of distress’
-links to parsons expressive vs instrumental roles

Question 3

Do official statistics support the chivalry thesis?

Answer 3

Yes;
-Females more likely to be fined vs men sentenced
-Females more likely to be released on bail
No; self report studies show men commit more crimes, thus womens is not being underreported

Question 4

How is the CJS arguably biased against women?

Answer 4

Heidensohn- when women deviate from gender norms they are treated more harshly
Sharpe- found in youths who displayed early sexual behaviours, 11 girls put in care vs 0 boys
-Stewart says women who do not conform to motherhood/ ‘have a past’ punished more harshly

Question 5

What is Carlens view