CRIME STATS and PATTERNS OF OFFENDING (Gender)

Question 1

What are the 2 MAIN ARGUMENTS for ‘ Do Women Commit More Crime ‘

Answer 1

• The CHIVALRY THESIS
• BIAS AGAINST WOMEN

Question 2

WHAT does the CHIVALRY THESIS Argue?

Answer 2

argues MOST CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENTS e.g. Police Officers, Judges ARE MEN, and MEN are SOCIALISED To ACT in ‘CHIVALROUS’ Way TOWARDS WOMEN
- e.g. POLLACK (1950) MEN have a PROTECTIVE ATTITUDE Towards WOMEN and MEN HATE to ACCUSE WOMEN… Police Dislike to Arrest them
- the CJS is thus MORE LENIENT With WOMEN - so their CRIMES are LESS LIKELY to END UP In the OFFICIAL STATISTICS -> Gives an INVALID PICTURE that EXAGGERATES the Extent of GENDER DIFFERENCES in rates of offending

Question 3

What is SUPPORTING EVIDENCE of the CHIVALRY THESIS

Answer 3

• SELF REPORT STUDIES - GRAHAM & BOWLING (1995) - Sample of 14-25 yr old - Found that ALTHOUGH MALES were MORE LIKELY to OFFEND, the DIFFERENCE is MUCH SMALLER Than Official STATS SUGGEST
  -Males were 2.33 More LIKELY to ADMIT to COMMIT OFFENCE whereas the STATS SHOW MALES as 4 TIMES MORE LIKELY

Question 4

What is EVIDENCE AGAINGT the CHIVALRY THESIS

Answer 4

FARRINGTON and MORRIS (1983) - STUDY of SENTENCING in MAGISTRATE COURT - FOUND that ALTHOUGH MEN Received MORE SEVERE SENTENCE Than WOMEN, the DIFFERENCES DISAPPEARED WHEN the SEVERITY of the OFFENCES was TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

SELF REPORT STUDIES - Show MALES COMMIT MORE Offences - binge drinking, illegal drugs , disorderly conduct

Question 5

Explain BIAS AGAINST WOMEN

Answer 5

HEIDENSOHN (1996) - COURTS TREAT FEMALES MORE HARSHLY Than MALES WHEN they DEVIATE From GENDER NORMS
- e.g. - DOUBLE STANDARDS - COURTS PUNISH GIRLS but NOT BOYS For PREMATURE or PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL ACTIVITY.
SHARPE (2009) FOUND from Analysis of 55 Youth Worker Records, 7 Out of 11 Girls were REFERRED for SUPPORT BECAUSE they Were Sexually Active, but NONE OUT of 44 BOYS
- FEMINISTS - Argue these DOUBLE STANDARDS EXIST BECAUSE the CJS is PATRIARCHAL - Very EVIDENT In the Way the SYSTEM DEALS With RAPE CASES - Male Judges Making Victim-Blaming Remarks

Question 6

What are - EXPLANATIONS of FEMALE CRIME

Answer 6

1. FUNCTIONALIST SEX ROLE THEORY
2. HEIDENSOHN : PATRIARCHAL CONTROL
   3: CARLEN : CLASS and GENDER DEALS
   4: The LIBERATION THESIS

Question 7

How does the FUNCTIONALIST SEX ROLE THEORY EXPLAIN FEMALE CRIME?

Answer 7

• PARSONS - DIFFERENCES in CRIME are TRACED BACK to GENDER ROLES in NUCLEAR FAMILIES. - MEN take INSTRUMENTAL BREADWINNER ROLE, performed Largely OUTSIDE HOME and WOMEN perform EXPRESSIVE ROLE In HOME, Take MAIN RESPONSIBILITY for SOCIALISING Their CHILDREN.
• BOYS REJECT FEMALE MODELS of BEHAVIOR and Instead SEEK to
  DISTANCE from Them by ENGAGING in ‘COMPENSATORY COMPULSORY MASCULINITY’ Through AGGRESSION and ANTI - SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
• COHEN (1955) - Due to LACK of ADULT ROLE MODEL –> BOYS More Likely to TURN to ALL-MALE STREET GANGS As a SOURCE of MASCULINE IDENTITY

Question 8

How does HEIDENSOHN’s PATRIARCHAL CONTROL EXPLAIN FEMALE CRIME

Answer 8

HEIDENSOHN - argues the MOST STRIKING Thing about WOMEN’S BEHAVIOUR is How CONFORMIST It Is - they COMMIT FEWER and LESS SERIOUS CRIMES than MEN -> Because PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY Imposes GREATER CONTROL OVER WOMEN -> REDUCES OPPORTUNITIES to OFFEND
This PATRIACTHAL CONTROL Operates at HOME, in PUBLIC SPACES and At WORK

Question 9

HEIDENSOHN : PATRIARCHAL CONTROL - EXPLAIN the CONTROL of WOMEN at HOME

Answer 9

Women’s DOMESTIC ROLE at WORK - HOUSEWORK and CHILDCARE - RESTRICTS their TIME - CONFINED to HOUSE -> REDUCES OPPORTUNITY to OFFEND. DOBASH & DOBASH - Many VIOLENT ATTACKS RESULT from MEN’S DISSATISFACTION with Their WIVES’ PERFORMANCE of DOMESTIC DUTIES. Daughter -> Less Likely to be Allowed to Go as they please -> develop BEDROOM CULTURE

Question 10

HEIDENSOHN : PATRIARCHAL CONTROL - EXPLAIN the CONTROL of WOMEN in PUBLIC

Answer 10

• Women OFTEN CHOOSE NOT to GO into PUBLIC PLACES Because of FEAR of BECOMING a VICTIM of CRIME / HARASSMENT
• HEIDENSOHN - notes that SENSATIONALIST MEDIA REPORTING of Rape ADDS to Women’s FEAR. DISTORTED MEDIA PORTRAYALS of TYPICAL RAPIST as a STRANGER who CARRIES OUT RANDOM ATTACKS, FRIGHTEN Women to STAY INDOORS

Question 11

HEIDENSOHN : PATRIARCHAL CONTROL - EXPLAIN the CONTROL of WOMEN at WORK

Answer 11

• usually CONTROLLED by MALE SUPERVISORS and MANAGERS at WORK and May be INTIMIDATED by VARIOUS FORMS of HARASSMENT
• WOMEN’s SUBORDINATE POSITION REDUCE Their OPPORTUNITIES to ENGAGE in Major CRIMINAL ACTIVITY At WORK
• ‘GLASS CEILING’ STOP WOMEN from GETTING into POSITIONS Where they HAVE the OPPORTUNITY to COMMIT FRAUD -> LESS LIKELY to COMMIT WHITE COLLAR CRIME

Question 12

Explain CARLEN : CLASS and GENDER DEALS

Answer 12

• Conducted Unstructured Interviews with 39 CONVICTED FEMALE OFFENDERS - argues the W/C WOMEN have Been CONTROLLED THROUGH the PROMISE of REWARDS Stemming From the WORKPLACE and FAMILY - the CLASS And GENDER DEAL
• WOMEN are LED to CONFORM THROUGH the PROMISE of 2 Types of Rewards ‘Deals’
• The CLASS DEAL : WOMEN who WORK will be OFFERED MATERIAL REWARDS with a DECENT STANDARD of LIVING LEISURE OPPORTUNITIES
• The GENDER DEAL : PATRIARCHAL IDEOLOGY PROMISES WOMEN MATERIAL and EMOTIONAL REWARDS From Family Life By CONFORMING TO the NORMS of a CONVENTIONAL DOMESTIC GENDER ROLE

Question 13

CARLEN : CLASS and GENDER DEALS -explain HOW the 2 DEALS Result in Crime

Answer 13

CLASS DEAL - WOMEN HAD FAILED to FIND LEGITIMATE WAY of EARNING a DECENT LIVING -> MAKE them FEEL POWERLESS, OPPRESSED. They GAIN NO REWARDS From the Class Deal - FELT they had NOTHING To LOSE By USING CRIME to ESCAPE From POVERTY
GENDER DEAL - MOST WOMEN had EITHER NOT had the OPPORTUNITY to MAKE the DEAL OR SAW FEW REWARDS and MANY DISADVANTAGES in FAMILY LIFE - Some have Been Abused Physically and Sexually

Question 14

CARLEN : CLASS and GENDER DEALS - How did he CONCLUDE?

Answer 14

Concluded the 2 MAIN CAUSES of CRIME
1. POVERTY and Being BROUGHT UP in CARE
2. OPPRESSIVE FAMILY LIFE

Question 15

What are the POSITIVES of HEIDENSOHN and CARLEN?

Answer 15

• APPROACHES are BASED on COMBINATION of FEMINISM and CONTROL THEORY
• HEIDENSOHN SHOWS the FAILURE of PATRIARCHAL CONTROLS that HELP PREVENT WOMEN from DEVIATING
• CARLEN SHWOWS How the FAILURE of PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY to DELIVER PROMISED ‘DEALS to Some Women REMOVES the CONTROLS that PREVEN THEM from OFFENDING

Question 16

What are the NEGATIVES of HEIDENSOHN and CARLEN?

Answer 16

• Both CONTROL THEORY and FEMINISM Can be ACCUSED as Being DETERMINED BY EXTERNAL FORCES - PATRIAHCAL CONTROL and CLASS/GENDER DEALS
• UNDERPLAY the IMPORTANCE of FREE WILL and CHOICE
• CARLEN’s SAMPLE was SMALL - COULD be SEEN as UNREPRESENTATIVE because It was LARGELY W/C and SERIOUS OFFENDERS

Question 17

How does the LIBERATION THESIS EXPLAIN FEMALE CRIME?

Answer 17

ADLER (1975) - As WOMEN BECOME LIBERATED from PATRIARCHY, their CRIMES will BECOME FREQUENT As Serious as Men’s WOMEN’S LIBERATION has LED to NEW TYPE of FEMALE CRIMINAL and an INCREASE in WOMEN’s CONTRIBUTION to CRIME
- CHANGES in STRUCTURE of SOCIETY HAVE LED to CHANGES in WOMEN’S OFFENDING BEAHVIOUR.
As PATRIARCHAL CONTROL and DISCRIMINATION have LESSENED , and OPPORTUNITIES in EDUCATION and WORK have BECOME MORE EQUAL, WOMEN have BEGUN to ADOPT TRADTIONALLY ‘MALE ROLES’ in LEGITIMATE and ILLEGITIMATE ACTIVITY
- As a RESULT WOMEN , NO LONGER Commit TRADITIONAL ‘FEMALE’ CRIME e.g. Shop Lifting and NOW ALSO Commit TYPICALLY ‘MALE OFFENCES’

Question 18

What are CRITCISMS of LIBERATION THESIS?

Answer 18

BOX and HALE (1983) - review of the DEBATE CONCLUDED that of FEMALE CRIME has INCREASE this is MORE LIKELY DUE to UNEMPLOYMENT and INADEQUATE WELFARE BENEFITS
- MOST FEMALE CRIMINALS are From LOWER-CLASS BACKGROUNDS and are the LEAST LIKELY to have BEEN TOUCHED by WOMEN’S LIBERATION

Question 19

MEN and CRIME

Answer 19

MEN and CRIME