Gender, Crime and Justice

• What does official statistics show about crime rates between genders?

  Males commit more crimes than females
• What does the chivalry thesis argue regarding female offending?

  It argues that female offending is underestimated
• Why might the criminal system treat women more leniently?

  Because their offences are often less serious
• What do feminists argue about the criminal justice system?

  It is biased against women deviating from norms
• What does sex role theory focus on in explaining gender differences in offending?

  It focuses on socialisation processes
• What do feminist theories emphasize regarding female offending opportunities?

  Patriarchal control reduces their opportunities
• What does Carlen argue about female conformity and offending?

  Failure of reward systems leads to offending
• What does the liberationist thesis suggest about women's offending patterns?

  Women adopt 'male' patterns as they become liberated
• What has caused the rise in female criminalisation rates for violence?

  Net widening and moral panic
• How does Messerschmidt view crime in relation to masculinity?

  As a resource for subordinated men to achieve masculinity
• What does Winlow argue about masculinity in the context of globalisation?

  Men achieve masculinity through work and crime
• Who argues that when the reward system for female conformity fails, females are likely to offend?

  Carlen
• What do Heidensohn and Silvestri observe about gender differences in crime?

  They are the most significant feature of recorded crime
• What percentage of convicted offenders in England and Wales are male?

  80%
• What is the difference in criminal conviction rates by age between genders?

  9% of females and 32% of males
• What types of offences are females more likely to be convicted of compared to males?

  Property offences (except burglary)
• How do males differ from females in terms of repeat offending?

  Males are more likely to be repeat offenders
• What do the statistics suggest about males and homicide convictions?

  Males are approximately 15 times more likely
• What do some sociologists argue about the statistics on female offending?

  They underestimate female offending compared to males
• Why are typically 'female' crimes less likely to be reported?

  They are less noticeable than male crimes
• What does the Chivalry Thesis suggest about criminal justice agents?

  They act in a chivalrous way towards women
• What does Otto Pollak argue about men's attitudes towards women in the justice system?

  Men have a protective attitude towards women
• What does the evidence from self-report studies suggest about female offenders?

  They are treated more leniently
• What did John Graham and Ben Bowling find regarding male and female offending rates?

  The difference was smaller than official statistics
• What did Flood-Page et al. find about self-reported offenders?

  1/11 female offenders were cautioned or prosecuted
• What do court statistics suggest about female offenders compared to males?

  Females are more likely to be released on bail
• What is the likelihood of females receiving prison sentences for shoplifting compared to males?

  1/9 females versus 1/5 males
• What did Roger Hood's study reveal about women in similar cases?

  Women were about ⅓ less likely to be jailed
• What did David Farrington and Alison Morris find regarding sentencing of women?

  Women weren't sentenced more leniently for comparable offences
• What did Steven Box conclude about women committing serious offences?

  They aren't treated more favourably than men
• What did Abigail Buckle and David Farrington observe about shoplifting?

  Males shoplifted twice as often as females
• What did Hales et al. find regarding female offenders in major offence categories?

  Females were significantly more likely to be offenders
• What did Yearnshire find about women reporting domestic violence?

  Women suffer 35 assaults before reporting
• What did Sharpe find regarding girls referred for support in youth work?

  7 out of 11 girls were referred for being sexually active
• What did Stewart find about magistrates’ perceptions of female defendants?

  They were based on stereotypical gender roles
• What does Pat Carlen argue about custodial sentences for women?

  Judges assess women based on family roles
• What did Carol Smart quote Judge Wild saying about women's consent?

  Women who say no do not always mean no
• What does Sandra Walklate argue about rape cases?

  The victim is on trial, not the defendant
• According to Adler, who struggles to have their testimony believed in court?

  Women lacking respectability, like single parents
• What did Lombroso and Ferrero argue about female criminals?

  Very few 'born female criminals' exist