Gender And Crime

Question 1

What percentage of convicted offenders are male?

Answer 1

80%.

Question 2

What type of crimes are males/females most likely to commit?

Answer 2

Males =

• violent/sexual offences.
• more likely to commit serious crimes.

Females =

• property offences (except burglary).
• prostitution, drug offences.

Question 3

Why is there a higher proportion of males in prison than females?

Answer 3

Because of the nature of their crimes =

• women commit crimes that are less likely to hold a custodial sentence, so they don’t need to be vindictated.

Question 4

What theories are there for the gender differences in crime?

Answer 4

1) . Functionalist sex role theory (women don’t commit crime).
2) . Heidensohn: patriarchal control (women don’t commit crime).
3) . Chivalry thesis (women do commit crime).
4) . Liberation thesis (women do commit crime).
5) . Pat Carlen: class and gender deals (only some women commit crime).

Question 5

What does the functionalist sex role theory focus on?

Answer 5

Parsons (1955) =

focuses on gender socialisation and role models in the nuclear family.

• women perform the expressive role = girls have a role model but boys reject the feminine traits.

Question 6

Why does Parsons say boys compensate masculinity with aggression?

Answer 6

Because the father performs the expressive role and they reject the feminine role at home =

• men are largely outside the home.
• so boys compensate masculinity with; risk-taking, aggression and anti-school behaviour.

Question 7

According to functionalists, why might boys offend?

Answer 7

1) . Compensate masculine characteristics =
- aggression; may lead to fights, resulting in assault conviction.
2) . A.K. Cohen (1955) =
- absence of a male role model means boys are more likely to turn to street gangs as a source of masculinity.

Question 8

How do feminists contrast functionalists?

Answer 8

They explain gender differences in offending in terms of patriarchy.

• 2 main feminist approaches; control theory and liberation thesis.

Question 9

How is the functionalist sex role theory criticised?

Answer 9

Walklate (2003) =

• Parsons assumes that because women are biologically capable of caring for a child, they best suit the expressive role.
• his theory is based on biological assumptions about sex differences.

Question 10

What does Heidensohn: patriarchal control focus on?

Answer 10

Heidensohn (1985) =

• women commit less crime because patriarchal society has greater control over them.
• this reduces their opportunities to offend.

Question 11

According to Heidensohn, where does patriarchal control operate?

Answer 11

1) . At home.
2) . In public.
3) . At work.

Question 12

How does patriarchal control operate at home?

Answer 12

Women’s domestic role =

• constant housework and childcare restricts women’s time, confining them to the house (dual/triple shift).
• men impose this through the threat of domestic violence and their financial power.

Question 13

How does patriarchal control at home restrict daughters?

Answer 13

They are expected to do more housework, so they develop a “bedroom culture”.

Question 14

How does patriarchal control operate in public?

Answer 14

1). Fear of male sexual violence =

reports (moral panics) of rape frighten women into staying indoors.

2). Respectability =

make-up, appearance, etc, define a women’s reputation.

• going into a bar alone is feared as they may be regarded as ‘sexually loose’ (bars = site of criminal activity).

Question 15

How does patriarchal control operate at work?

Answer 15

• Women’s subordinate position at work reduces criminal opportunities (e.g. white-collar crimes).
• The ‘glass ceiling’ =

prevents women rising to senior position, inhibiting white-collar crimes.

Question 16

What does the chivalry thesis focus on?

Answer 16

1) . CJS is more lenient to women because;
- it’s agents are male.
- men are socialised to act ‘chivalrously’ towards women (protect them).

Question 17

How does Pollak (1950) describe men’s chivalrous attitudes towards women?

Answer 17

• Men are protective of omen.

- So, are unwilling to arrest, charge or prosecute them.

Question 18

What does Pollak say the result of men’s chivalrous attitudes are for official crime statistics?

Answer 18

Female crimes are less likely to end up in crime statistics, so, it under-represents female crime.

Question 19

How is Pollak’s argument applied to interactionism?

Answer 19

He suggest females are positively labelled by male agents of social control.

Question 20

What is the main assumption the chivalry thesis makes about female crime?

Answer 20

That it does happen, however, male agents of social control inhibit their sentences.

Question 21

Who developed the liberation thesis?

Answer 21

Alder (1975).

Question 22

What does the liberation thesis focus on?

Answer 22

Less patriarchal control and discrimination, so =

• women’s offending will become similar to men’s.
• there will be a rise in female crime, as opportunities have become more equal.

Question 23

What are the criticisms of the liberation thesis?

Answer 23

1) . Female crime started rising before the liberation movement began.
2) . Most female criminals are w/c = unlikely to be influenced by the movement.

Question 24

What did Steffensmeier and Schwartz (2009) find about female violent crime?

Answer 24

Increase in official statistics didn’t match the findings of victim surveys/self-report studies.

Question 25

What is meant by ‘net widening’?

Answer 25

CJS prosecutes females for more less serious violence than previously.

Question 26

What does Sharpe and Gelsthorpe (2009) say the trend in UK is towards prosecuting females?

Answer 26

Trend towards prosecuting females for minor offences.

Question 27

Who’s theory supports Sharpe and Gelsthorpe’s assumption?

Answer 27

Young (2011) =

• calls this ‘defining deviance up’ –> catch trivial offences in the net.

Question 28

How does Worrall (2004) show that female crime is a social construct?

Answer 28

Used to be labelled as ‘welfare’ issues =

• no been re-labelled as criminal.

Question 29

What does Sharpe (2009) say the increase of female convictions is due to?

Answer 29

Moral panics =

• found CJS professionals are influenced by media stereotypes of violent ‘ladettes’.

Question 30

How does moral panics of female crime create a deviance amplification spiral?

Answer 30

• Police/CJS take a tougher stance.
• Resulting in more convictions.
• Producing further negative media coverage.

Question 31

Which survey is used the most in victim surveys?

Answer 31

CSEW.

Question 32

What does the CESW show about gender differences in offending?

Answer 32

1) . More men than women = victim to violent/homicide crimes.
2) . More women than men = victim of intimate violence.
3) . 10x more women = reported being sexually abused.
4) . Only 8% of sexual assault victims reported it.
5) . Women = greater fear of crime.
- CSEW shows they are less at risk.
- some surveys show they are at a greater risk.

Question 33

What concept does Messerschmidt focus on to explain why men are more likely to commit crime?

Answer 33

Masculinity.

Question 34

What does Messerschmidt refer masculinity to?

Answer 34

An ‘accomplishment’ =

• something men have to construct and work at.
• some have more resources than others.

Question 35

What are the 2 types of masculinity Messerschmidt outlines?

Answer 35

1) . Hegemonic masculinity.

2) . Subordinated masculinity.

Question 36

What is hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 36

1) . Dominant –> most men wish to accomplish.
2) . Define through =

• hard work.
• ability to subordinate women (at home and work).
• heterosexuality.

Question 37

What is subordinated masculinity?

Answer 37

1) . Lack of resources for hegemonic.
2) . Many lower-class, ethnic minority, homosexual men.
3) . They turn to crime to assert masculinity due to lack of resources, in an attempt gain hegemonic.
4) . Can be m/c men = white-collar/corporate crime.