Chivalry Thesis

• Otto Pollock examined the imbalance between male and female rates of offending post-World War II
• Pollock believed that female crime was underrepresented due to paternalistic attitudes of men, known as the chivalry thesis
• Police were less likely to record crimes committed by females compared to males
• Judiciary, magistrates, and judges were less likely to pass harsh sentences on females due to societal norms of protecting women
• Women often had charges dropped, received cautions, or community-based punishments instead of facing imprisonment
• Crimes committed by women were often seen as errors of judgment rather than deliberate offenses
• Social expectations of women to be good and moral contributed to the leniency towards female criminals
• Crimes typically committed by women such as petty theft, shoplifting, and prostitution were viewed as victimless
• Contemporary application of the chivalry thesis seen in the case of Lavinia Woodward in 2017
• Self-report studies suggest little difference in criminality rates between males and females
• Males are charged with four out of every five crimes in the UK
• Males are more likely to be imprisoned and have higher rates of re-offending compared to females
• Critics suggest that the judicial system discriminates against female criminals
• Women committing acts considered part of the male domain face double deviance
• Sentencing of women often based on gender roles rather than the crime committed
• Justice system discriminates against female victims, particularly in cases of rape and sexual assault