gender differences in patterns of crime

Question 1

link between gender and crime

Answer 1

• men are much more likely to commit crime (although female crime has been rising faster than male crime since the late 20th century)
• Men and women also commit different types of crimes (men much more likely to commit violent crimes, 90% of murders)

Question 2

point 1

Answer 2

sex role theory

• men and women are simply different
  -whether one takes a sociobiological approach or prefer to emphasis gender socialisation, the suggestion is that ‘normal’ masculinity is much more open to criminality then ‘normal’ femininity
• socialisation to be tough and dominant is more prone to criminality then socialisation to be nurturing and compliant

However this view could be outdated

Question 3

point 2

Answer 3

control theory

• women and girls are controlled more than boys and men
• boys have more freedom, being able to stay out later and generally being under less informal surveillance then girls
• heidensohn: girls are controlled by their fathers and other relatives until they are married and controlled by their husbands

evaluation- still possibly outdated

Question 4

point 3

Answer 4

marginalisation

feminist sociologists suggest that the marginal position of women in a patriarchal society means that they commit fewer crimes than men. They have fewer opportunities to commit crimes because of marginalisation, as opposed to men who can commit occupational crime as well as their having a greater opportunity to form criminal subcultures because they are not confined to a domestic role.