gender on crime

• gender statistics


  -indictable offences convictions: 86% men; 14% women

  -summary offences convictions: 29% men; 15% women

  -defendants: 75% men; 25% women

  -70% homicide = men

  -men get longer custodial sentences on average
• Smart: feminism on crime


  -women = ignored in the sociological study of crime

  -crimes that women commit = more trivial e.g., shoplifting

  -women behaviour is seen as less of a problem
• Chivalry thesis - Pollack (1950)


  -women commit the same amount of crime as men but are more likely to get away with it

  -are more secretive & subversive

  -example: Victoria Parry - drink driving, not given a custodial sentence for serial drink driving. Was in a 15 year abusive relationship.
• Flood


  -1 in 11 female self-report offenders have been cautioned (1 in 7 for men)
• Hood (1989)


  -1/3 less likely to be jailed than men when they do the same/similar crime
• Walklate (2000)


  -women are not always treated "chivalrously" by the CJS - can be subject to double victimisation (made to feel like they are on trial for their morality & social standing)
• Carlen (1998) & Heidensohn (2002)


  -double deviancy - break law & gendered social norms e.g., Lucy Letby
• Farringdon & Morris


  -the more serious the offence, the less difference in sentencing
• sex-role theory


  Parsons: women are canalised to be docile, nurturing & obedient which makes them less likely to commit crime

  Heidensohn: control theory - women commit less crime as they are controlled, controlled at home via bedroom culture (women are seen as property)

  Dunscombe & Marsden: don't have the time/opportunity to commit crime due to the triple shift
• control theory - Pat Carlen


  -gender deal: stick to stereotypes of women e.g., children, then have an emotional reward

  -class deal: earn a good wage, have material goods & a good lifestyle

  -women who commit crime have nothing to lose, they do not have the gender deal or the class deal
• AO3


  -Chivalry thesis = outdated

  -deterministic - assumes there is no free will in committing crime

  -reductionist

  -people now have freedom & choice in society & their family structure, they are no longer bound to stereotypes which makes them less likely to commit crime
• liberation thesis


  -Alder

  -the rise of feminism & less patriarchal control = increased female criminality

  -happened during 3rd wave feminism when there were chances in legislation e.g., divorce reform & equal pay

  AO3:

  -there was not an increase in female criminality, only an increase in females getting caught (Lind)

  -not all women are equally liberated, MC are more liberated but WC women commit more crime
• Batchalor


  -women have decreased morals, there is a moral panic around loosing their norms & values - they become the folk devil of crime
• feminisation of poverty


  -stats show women are 20% more likely to be in poverty than men

  -25% are single women living in poverty

  -45% of single parents are women
• masculinity and crime


  -crime shows masculinity

  -Connell: males seek to be providers & competitive & tough which they can achieve through crime

  -Messerchimdt: they are heterosexual, stoic, aggressive & risk taking
• masculinity crisis


  -image is important in a postmodern society which can cause people to commit crime
• labelling


  -hegemonic masculinity

  -label

  master status

  -self-fulfilling prophecy

  -criminality
• opportunities


  -males have less social control

  -males have more free time

  -males are more likely to be in high jobs so more likely to commit white collar crime and corporate crime
• AO3 - men on crime


  -some men do have a lot of social control

  -deterministic

  -reductionist

  -doesn't explain why crime happens

  -not all men turn to crime

  -changes in social attitudes