Theories

• Sex role theory - Functionalist idea - suggests that norms and values of each gender are linked to that gender's likelihood of committing crime
• Chivalry theory - Pollak - women's crimes are viewed differently to men's (especially 'petty' crimes such as shoplifting) - women can employ charisma and charm to get away with consequences for their crime
• Liberation thesis - Adler - females taking on more masculine roles, strengthens opportunity to commit crime (links to ladette culture)
• Messerschmidt - masculinity hypothesis - high levels of crime are simply down to men wanting to prove they are 'real' men
• Masculinity thesis - young men in particular may commit crime to seek thrills (links to Katz & Lyng 'edgework')
• Lombrosso and Ferrero - biological explanations for crime - found a large percentage of women get away with crime due to factors such as going through menopause or hormonal imbalances (e.g. pregnancy)
• Messerschmidt - normative masculinity - links to Connell's idea of 'tough men' and their characteristics
• Four types of masculinity - Connell: hegemonic, complicit and subordinate