Statistics on Gender & Crime

• What is the general trend in crime rates between genders?

  Men commit more crimes than women
• What type of crimes are men more likely to commit?

  Violent crimes, including murder
• Why are sociologists interested in gender differences in crime?

  To investigate reasons for differing offending rates
• What does sex role theory suggest about gender and crime?

  Men and women are socialized differently
• What is a characteristic of "normal" masculinity according to sex role theory?

  More open to criminality
• How does socialization affect criminality according to the text?

  Tough socialization leads to higher criminality
• What are the explanations for gender differences in criminality?

  • Sex role theory
  • Marginalization
  • Control theory
• What does the marginalization theory suggest about women's crime rates?

  Women commit fewer crimes due to marginalization
• How does control theory explain gender differences in crime?

  Women are controlled more than men
• Who proposed the idea that girls are controlled by their fathers?

  Frances Heidensohn
• What change in society could explain the rise in female criminality?

  Increased independence of young women
• What is the chivalry thesis in relation to crime statistics?

  Male officers protect women from justice
• What does Otto Pollack argue about women's criminality?

  Women commit crimes but are better liars
• How does Carol Smart critique traditional criminology?

  It focuses too much on male perspectives
• What are the criticisms of the chivalry thesis?

  • Increasing female workers in justice system
  • Judges often view women as doubly deviant
• What are the contrasting views on women's roles in crime according to sociologists?

  • Feminists argue for patriarchal control
  • Liberal feminists argue for achieved equality
• What does S. Jones (2008) suggest about women in prison?

  They are often co-defendants with men
• What is the main focus of liberationist feminists regarding crime?

  Changes in gender roles affecting crime rates
• How do functionalists view masculinity in relation to crime?

  As context-specific within subcultures