The Chivalry Thesis Flashcards
1
Q
What does this thesis argue?
A
That most criminal justice agents such as police officers, magistrates and judges are men- and men are socialised to act in a ‘chivalrous’ way towards women
2
Q
What do self-report studies reveal?
A
- Graham and Bowling (1995): a sample of 1,721 14-25 year olds, although males were more likely to offend, the difference was smaller than that recorded in the official statistics
- Flood-Page et al (2000): while only 1 in 11 female self-reported offenders had been cautioned or prosecuted, the figure for males was over 1 in 7
3
Q
How do official statistics prove the chivalry thesis?
A
- Females are more likely to be released on bail
- Females are more likely to receive a fine or a community sentence as opposed to prison sentences
- On average, women receive shorter prison sentences
4
Q
What is the evidence against the chivalry thesis?
A
- Farrington and Morris’ (1983) study: studied 408 offences of theft, conclusion was that women were not sentenced any more leniently
- Self-report studies: gender gap increases as crime gets more serious, men are more likely than women to take drugs, engage in disorderly conduct and binge drink
- Under-reporting of male crimes against women: 2012- only 8% of females who had been victims of sexual assault reported it. Yearnshire (1997): a woman typically suffers 35 assaults before it’s reported