Crime - Gender - Flashcards
What percentage of crime is committed by men?
80%
4/5 convicted offenders are men
Males more likely to be repeat offenders and commit more serious crimes.
What is the biological theory about women’s crime?
PMS seen to link to women’s crime.
– Dalton (1961) - 156 British women imprisoned for theft, prostitution or drunkenness, over half committed during paramenstruum.
– D’Orban and Dalton (1980) - interviewed 50 female prisoners convicted for violent crimes and found 44% of violence occurred during paramenstruum.
FINDINGS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN IS EXPECTED FOR FIND FOR 7 - 8 DAYS OUT OF THE MONTH.
What is the feminist view on the biological theory about women’s crime?
Faced with dilemma:
- do not want small number of PMS sufferers to be dismissed as neurotic.
- however, do not want people to generalise from few and negatively stereotype to all.
What is the women prison population?
General population - 85000
Women prison population - 4000
Who is Lombroso and what did he study?
In late 1800’s - studied physical nature of criminals to find a link.
- argued women are ‘innately stupid and gentle and not capable of aggression unless they are particularly bad’.
How does Hirschi’s social bonds explain why women don’t commit crime?
4 social bonds to society explaining why people DON’T commit crime:
- commitment (children).
- involvement (busy, triple shift)
- attachment (cliques, friends)
- beliefs (socialisation).
Also links to surveillance of women - CCTV, others (friends) - for own protection.
What is the functionalist sex role theory?
Why women DON’T commit crime.
- focuses on socialisation of males and females and how it leads to crime.
Talcott Parsons (1955) - differences in gender roles in nuclear family.
– women in home more as part of expressive role therefore girls have role model but boys reject feminine role model and display ‘compensatory compulsary masculinity’ = aggression, anti social which can lead to crime.
- A Cohen (1955) adds lack of male role model means boys turn to deviant subcultures.
Evaluation of sex role theory?
- Walklate (2003) biological assumptions - women not always expressive role.
- feminists - times are changing (more women are working).
What is the liberation thesis? Examples?
Women DO commit crime - Freda Adler (1975)
- as women become liberated from patriarchy their crimes will become the same as men’s.
changes in structure of society means that controls and discrimination have lessened
- opportunities in education and work lead to more crime (white collar).
Female offending rate rose during second half of 20th century.
Media talk of growth of ‘girl gangs’ - Denscombe found teenagers self images were becoming more ‘male’.
Evaluation of liberation thesis?
- female crime rate began rising in 1950’s before liberation movement in the 1960’s.
- Chesney - Lind did find evidence of women committing ‘male’ offences (drugs) however through link with prostitution - very ‘un-liberated’ offence.
- over estimates extent
What is patriarchal control theory?
Women DON’T commit crime - Heidensohn (1996)
- patriarchal society imposes control over women which reduces opportunities to offend.
AT HOME - expressive role confines them to house (reduces opportunities)
– Dobash and Dobash (1979) - those who try and reject get it imposed on them with force (domestic violence)
Passes on to daughters through bedroom culture.
IN PUBLIC - threat/fear of violence against them
– 54% of women don’t go out in dark through fear of sexual assault. (media emphasises fear)
AT WORK - male supervisors and managers (sexual harassment keeps them ‘in place’).
– less opportunities due to sub position.
What are class and gender deals?
Women DO commit crime - Carlen
Study of 39, 15-46 year old w/c women who had been convicted of crimes (theft, violence, drugs).
- argues women are led to conform through promise of 2 deals:
- class deal - women who work will be offered material rewards.
- gender deal - patriarchy promises women material and emotional rewards from family life.
– if these rewards are not available or worth it then crime is more likely.
THESE WOMEN HAD REJECTED DEALS.
What is the chivalry thesis?
Women DO commit crime.
Argues cjs agents (police, judges) are men and act in a way to protect women.
– therefore cjs is more lenient with women and their crimes are less likely to be in official stats.
Graham and Bowling (1995) - found although males more likely to offend, the difference is smaller than official stats show.
– 1 in 9 females received prison sentence for shoplifting compared in 1 in 5 men.
Evaluation of chivalry thesis?
- Buckle and Farrington (1984) - witnessed twice as many male shoplifters than female despite the official stats being equal - females MORE likely to be prosecuted.
- offences just less serious and women more likely to show remorse.
- 8% of female victims of sexual assault report to police – women suffer 35 assaults before reporting (under reporting of male crimes against women)
How does concept of gender lead to male crime?
‘macho’ man = assertion of masculinity leads to crime.
- drug taking - active risk taking, compete on who can take worse drug, steroids to try to improve self.
- burglary - putting self at risk, power and control, fear of not being breadwinner.
- assault - shows strength and dominance.
