Gender (social and biological)

Question 1

What are the gender differences in the type of crime?

Answer 1

-F lower arrest rates than males for all crime except prostitution
-6% prison population f, 94% male
-In US f less than 20% of arrests for most crime cats
-F less than 15% since 60s for serious crime (homicides)
-F greatest in minor property crime, fraud, forgery etc

Question 2

What are the gender differences in the frequency of committing crime?

Answer 2

-F less likely to reoffend
-LT careers in crime among women rare (may have for prostitution or property)
-F crime inc faster than m especially property offences
-percent of arrets doubled between 60s and 75 from 15-30+%

Question 3

What does the brain injury theory of criminality say?

Answer 3

-PFC responsible for planning, control, decisions and problem solving. If TBI then lasting impact and poor decisions, lack restraint
-social not bio factors increase the liklihood of TBI in males
-Hypothalamus - won’t be able to regulate appropriate hormones relating to beh
-Hippocampus - poor learning of when should and shouldn’t show beh
-Amygdala- can’t recognise emotions

Question 4

Is gender a factor for brain inury?

Answer 4

-Young males most at risk of TBI. Impulsive and risky. PFC less developed, manual jobs
-Gender diffs in people experiencing a TBI.
-14% for teenage males, 5% for females

Question 5

Research for gender differences in brain injury (weakness)

Answer 5

-Bruns and Hauser
-males at a higher risk of TBI than females.
-Interpersonal violence and vehicle collisions
-TBI result of crim behaviour not the other way round.

Question 6

Alternative explanation for why males commit crime

Answer 6

-Testosterone
-But could link to poor functioning of hypothalamus
-Higher T linked to aggression and crime

Question 7

Weakness of RM for TBI (correlation)

Answer 7

lack of cause and effect as correlational relationship between TBI and crime. Could be 3rd factor

Question 8

Weakness of RM for TBI (case study)

Answer 8

-Charles Whitman and Phineas Gage
-physical evidence as tumour
-Unusual and cant gen
-Lowers cred
-no c&e
-retrospective

Question 9

Overall conclusion for TBI

Answer 9

Males at higher risk of TBI which could lead to inc in crime but could be other causes like hormones

Question 10

Amygdala as an explanation for criminality (3)

Answer 10

-Responsible for emotional memory, fight/flight,fear, works w hippocampus
-If left side low activity then lack fear (conseq)
-Criminals = reduced vol, blunted emotions

Question 11

Is gender a factor for the amygdala?

Answer 11

-Generally no gender diffs, in functioning and neurobiology

Question 12

Research to support amygdala and gender

Answer 12

-Shirtcliff et al
-Review didn’t emphasize gender diffs but found that girls show more empathy than boys.
-more conduct disorder and ASB in males
-amygdala important in emotions

Question 13

Research to criticise amygdala and aggression

Answer 13

Hyde et al
No gender differences

Question 14

Weakness of RM for crime and amygdala

Answer 14

Shirtcliff et al is correlational
-Don’t know what brain is like before the crime
-Said males more likely but structurally same, empathy doesn’t just come from amygdala

Question 15

Overall conclusion for gender diffs and amygdala

Answer 15

-No gender diffs, only evidence that females are more empathetic

Question 16

What does XYY say about criminality?

Answer 16

-Extra Y chromosome in 1 out of 1000 males, 15/1000 prison population
-lack empathy, overly aggressive, SFP
-Learning difficulties - delays in dev

Question 17

Is gender a factor in XYY?

Answer 17

-Issue in males only
-environmental factors like labels, SFP relating to masculinity

Question 18

Research supporting XYY has gender differences (2)

Answer 18

-Jacobs et al. 1/1000 normal, 15/1000 prison.
-Whatmore. age of first conviction lower (13) than normal (18)

Question 19

Alternative explanation

Answer 19

-labelling. discrimination and stereotypes of aggression. SFP

Question 20

Conclusions for XYY and gender

Answer 20

Not issue between m+f as only males. More abt how males treated in society.

Question 21

How does personality explain criminal behaviour

Answer 21

-Eysenck: crime from high PEN scores. Psychoticism linked to T.
-Freud: dominant ID, weak/deviant/strong, poorly developed ego lead to criminal beh as give into ID or superego overly harsh.

Question 22

Is gender a factor for personality?

Answer 22

-F higher N scores, m higher P scores.
-As P more in males, supports idea of ASB having bio underpinnings

Question 23

Research supporting personality and gender (2)

Answer 23

-Eysenck and Lynn and Martin
-females higher N and males higher P. Lynn and Martin across 37 countries, universal.
-Supports ASB

Question 24

Research criticising personality and gender

Answer 24

-Hesslebrock
-when looking at AS personality disorder, factors like fam background, alcoholism and childhood behaviour issues can impact.
-No gender diffs.

Question 25

Contrasting study to support gender and personality

Answer 25

-Shoot et al
-F showed more subtle ASB and males more overt. Supports g diffs

Question 26

Overall conclusions for personality and gender

Answer 26

-Males = higher psychoticism and ASB
-Females = higher neuroticism
-Is gender diffs for personality

Question 27

What does labelling and SFP say about criminality? (4)

Answer 27

-People given label (neg) based on stereotypes and judgements
-labels stick
-SFP based on labels. influence how others treat them, internalise and becomes self-concept. Live up to the label
-assumes everyone acts the same to SFP

Question 28

Is gender a factor for labelling and SFP? (4)

Answer 28

-Expectations to fulfill label more influential if from males than females
-m & f given diff labels
-m = stereoptye of aggression, if treated like this and labelled then live up to it
-f stereotype of emotional. not same label as men

Question 29

Research to support gender diffs in labelling

Answer 29

• 6 female delinquents out of 14 told had academic potential
  -Teachers treated differently
  -Did better in exams

Question 30

Research to criticise gender diffs in labelling

Answer 30

-Fuller
-Black girls in london comprehensive
-Labelled as not successfull
-Rejected label and became successful

Question 31

Weaknesses of gender diffs for labelling (H and C)

Answer 31

-Poor samples: Meichenbaum all same gender. Not rep. doesn’t explain males
-deterministic: ignores free will. SFP always leads to crime

Question 34

Conclusion for labelling

Answer 34

-Gendered labels
-Diff labels based on stereotypes which cause diff behaviour

Question 34

Is there gender diffs for SLT?

Answer 34

-Male role models show more aggressive behaviour. Children imitate same sex role models
-Boys more aggressive, violent crime or fights

Question 34

How does SLT explain criminal behaviour

Answer 34

-Role models, similarities, same sex, older, higher status.
-See role models committing crime, want to be like them
-see them get rewarded so want same reward
-socialisation (internalise norms)

Question 35

Research supporting gender for SLT

Answer 35

Bandura 1961 - children imitate same sex. Boys more phys aggression. Females show verbal off f and phys off m. males copy males

Question 36

Weakness of gender for SLT (H)

Answer 36

-Bandura has low gen. 31 boys and girls, 52 months. Only shows in children. Not adults

Question 37

Conclusion for gender for SLT

Answer 37

Males more agg behaviour, males commit more crime

Question 38

Overall conclusions

Answer 38

Bio theories: TBI more likely males, amygdala need more research
Learning: SLT higher agg, labelling - m more sensitive