Gender Explanations Flashcards
Lombroso
Biological Differences & Crime
Females are biologically less likely to commit crime
Women who commit crime have biological disorders
Physical characteristics can determine which females and males are more likely to be offenders
Otto Pollak
Hidden Female Criminality
The criminality of women is largely masked by society. This is supported by their physical weakness which makes them less obvious offenders. Socialisation teaches women to conceal factors such as menstruation, marital frustration, aggression and this enables them to easily deceive.
Pollak claimed to have identified crimes that are usually committed by women, but go unreported:
1. Most shoplifting and criminal abortions were carried out by women
2. Female domestic and care workers committed many unreported crimes
3. Most prostitution offences go unreported or ignored by authorities
4. Women’s domestic and expressive roles provide opportunities to hide crimes like poisoning relatives and sexually abusing their children
Also suggests why there is an under recording of female crime:
1. Police magistrates tend to be men, brought up to chivalrous and lenient with female offenders
2. Women are skilled by hiding their crimes due to female biology, women are accustomed to misleading men
Chivalry Thesis
Suggests that women are let-off relatively lightly by the male dominated criminal justice system
Hood
Supporting Chivalry
Suggests women are more deviant than they appear and found evidence that they are protected because of chivalry
Women are far less likely to be arrested, charged and sentenced within the CJS
This means that the statistics demonstrating female criminality are significantly distorted, and not reflective the true extent of criminality
Tim Newburn
Women & Custodial Sentences
“There is gender inequality in crime. Women are less likely to receive a custodial sentence, and when given a custodial sentence, it is often far less than a male, even for the same crime.”
Steven Box
Feminisation of Poverty & Women Police Officers
An increase in women’s crime has more to do with poverty and necessity
This has become more widespread as a result of the growing number of lone parents and the struggle that comes with income
He also claimed that there is a relationship between the increasing employment of women police officers and the increased recording of crimes by women
Increase women in poverty
Increase women police officers
Decrease in chivalry
Martyn Denscombe
Ladette Culture
Increase in risk behaviour by women
They have adopted many of the behaviours and sexual attitudes of young men
Young women adopt masculine behaviours as a reaction to gender stereotyping and social control
James Messerschmidt
Hegemonic Masculinity
Argues males are socialised into hegemonic (dominant) masculine values, which stresses differences from women
He suggests several masculine goals need to be achieved in order to be considered a real man:
1. Respect from other men
2. Power, authority and control of others
3. Objectification of women, achieved through promiscuity
4. Toughness expressed through aggression, confrontation and force
5. Territorial loyalty, expressed through being part of a bugger group
6. Not expressing weakness or showing emotion
7. Being anti-authority
8. Taking risks
9. Seeking pleasure and excitement to compensate for boredom of low level work
Hegemonic Masculine Values & White Collar Crime
Most white collar crime is committed by men and can’t be a result of economic necessity or other forms of frustration
Middle class men are motivated by hegemonic masculine values, these values are criminogenic and results in them committing white collar and corporate crime
Annie Campbell
Aggressive Masculinity
Men may express their masculinity through criminal behaviour
Young men seek compensation for lack of breadwinner status through ‘aggressive masculinity’
