crime - social: gender

Question 1

chivalry

Answer 1

P: Supporting evidence of chivalry hypothesis shows how gender socialisation in men leads to underestimation in female criminality
E: Pollak argue that men in positions of authority can bias they justice system (such as police officers or judges) because they’re socialised to be protective and chivalrous towards women, which then causes more lenient treatment to female offenders compared to male offenders, making it less likely that women are arrested for criminal behaviour compared to men
T: This is a strength as it highlights how the bias in the justice system that stems from gender socialisation results in the underrepresentation of women in crime statistics.
COUNTER: However this holds low historical validity as modern training programmes for law enforcement focus on promoting gender-neutral, impartial decision-making which reduces biases in judicial processes.

Question 2

testosterone

Answer 2

P: weakness is that it overemphasises role of socialisation and neglects how biological factors influence criminality
E: Dabbs et al found a significant link between high levels of testosterone and violent criminal behaviours in males, 10/11 prisoners with highest testosterone conc. had committed violent crimes (e.g. assault or murder) while 9/11 with lowest testosterone conc. committed non-violent offenses.
T: weakness as this would suggest that the explanation doesn’t fully capture the full extent of what causes criminality. Being overly focused on social factors and ignoring the role of biological factors renders this explanation incomplete —> any application may not be fully effective

Question 3

useful application

Answer 3

P: strength is that there’s practical applications through the ‘Man up project’
E: it provides positive male role models to adolescent men, e.g. in the programme called ‘a band of brothers’. These role models don’t display deviant behaviour, aggressive risk-taking behaviour, but are instead rewarded for healthier versions of masculinity - like communication rather than confrontation, vulnerability and sharing feelings which is then vicariously reinforced through the respect of older males in the community.
T: They report in their input statement that 90% of adolescent men reduce their offending behaviour, which is a strength for fostering a more positive, healthier and safer society. This success seen also proves validity for the explanation that is it gender socialisation of ‘masculine’ behaviours that creates deviant and criminal behaviour.