Gender and Crime

Question 1

Why do women commit less crime than men?

Answer 1

1. Less detectable offences
2. Sex Role Theory
3. Control Theory
4. Women have less opportunities
5. Bedroom culture

Question 2

What is meant by less detectable offences?

Answer 2

Crimes such as shoplifting are less likely to be reported and impacted by chivalry thesis.

Question 3

What’s the evaluation of the less detectable offences theory?

Answer 3

1. • Hood: Studied 3000 defendants, found 1/3 of women were less likely to be arrested for similar offences compared to male.
2. • Farrington and Moss: women weren’t sentenced more leniently.

Question 4

What is the sex role theory?

Answer 4

Gender socialisation encourages women to have more feminine characteristics so are less likely to want to commit crime or have the opportunity.

Question 5

What is the evaluation of the sex role theory?

Answer 5

1. Assumes women are more suited to the expressive role.
2. Women are still able to commit crime.

Question 6

What is the control theory?

Answer 6

Carlen states there is a class deal: (women work hard and get a decent standard of living) and a gender deal: (women conforming to gender roles will receive rewards) and if these aren’t met women eventually turn to crime

Question 7

What is evaluation of the control theory?

Answer 7

1. Ignores free will.

Question 8

What is the theory around women having less opportunities?

Answer 8

Women have less opportunities, and are controlled more in the public, home and workplace (Heidensohn)

Question 9

What is the evaluation of the theory around women having less opportunities?

Answer 9

1. Women are still able to commit crime.

Question 10

What is the theory around bedroom culture?

Answer 10

McRobbie says girls are socialised to not engage in crime and deviance.

Question 11

What is evaluation of the theory around bedroom culture?

Answer 11

1. Women are still able to commit crime.

Question 12

What are the reasons for increased female crime?

Answer 12

1. Liberation Thesis (Adler)
2. Feminisation of poverty.

Question 13

What is the liberation thesis?

Answer 13

Adler: a rise in feminism has led to less patriarchal control so women have more opportunities to commit crime.

Question 14

What is the feminisation of poverty?

Answer 14

Women are now more liekly to be poor due to increased divorce and men only wanted children in contemporary society to pass on their genes rather than to care for them, causing more women to turn to crime in order to live.

Question 15

What is the evaluation of the liberation thesis?

Answer 15

1. • Between 1950-90, crime in women rose from 1 in 7, to 1 in 6.
2. • Chensey-lind: women did ‘male’ crime because of a link to prostitution.

Question 16

What is the evaluation of the feminisation of poverty?

Answer 16

1. • Assumes women only turn to crime because of poverty.

Question 17

What are the reasons for male crime rates?

Answer 17

1. Masculinity theory (Connel)
2. Labelling theory.
3. Opportunity.

Question 18

What is the masculinity theory?

Answer 18

Men may turn to crime if they lack a hegemonic masculinity as they become casted out of society.

Question 19

What is the evaluation of the masculinity theory?

Answer 19

1. Not all men turn to crime to assert masculinity (e.g growing a beard.)

Question 20

What is the labelling theory?

Answer 20

Police are more likely to negatively label a males behaviour as it looks more suspicious.

Question 21

What is evaluation of the labelling theory?

Answer 21

1. Can be used to explain distorted crime statistics.

Question 22

What is the opportunity theory?

Answer 22

Men usually have more opportunity to commit crime than women.

Question 23

What is the evaluation of the opportunity theory?

Answer 23

1. Not all men commit crime.