Women and crime

• Abbot and Wallace (1993)


  Women in crime are neglected

  • Less interesting
  • Criminality rate
  • Malestream sociology
• Heidensohn


  Patriarchal societies control women, making it harder for them to commit crime.

  Home: domestic violence Work: Male-dominated management Public: Not walking alone at night

  
  

  AO2

  Female criminality occurs when social control breaks down and women challenges biases. Women can be the abuser in domestic violence. More female breadwinners

  
  

  AO3

  Official statistics show that women are the most common victims of domestic violence. Men are still physically stronger than women
• Chivalry thesis


  Male police officers are more lenient with femal offenders
• Adler


  Liberation from the household has lead to an increase in female crime

  
  

  AO2

  Too deterministic as it assumes thst due to being 'let out of the house' they commit crime as a response to increased opportunities. Some women just want to work.

  
  

  AO3

  As changes in society and domination of women by men lessen, women have increased confidence, adopting traditionally male roles in legitimate and illegitimate areas.
• Box and Hale


  Female police officers uncover more crime. They are able to see through the crocodile tears given by female offenders.

  
  

  AO2

  Chivalry thesis - Women are more likely to be let off with crimes such as speeding by male police officers. Male judges are more in favour of mothers in custody battles in court.

  
  

  AO3

  Too deterministic to assume that all male police officers are lenient. e.g. Sarah Everard and Wayne Couzens.

  Women are also found to be criminals in crimes such as child abuse and murders. They are sentenced more harshly as it is a rare phenomena e.g. Baby Star
• Carlen


  Women commit crime when they reject the 'class and gender deal'. Theories of crime can reveal cuases of female criminality and can be used to put forward policies of social justice.

  Class deals - women who work will be rewarded with financial rewards

  Gender deals - Patriarchal ideologies promises material and emotional rewards if they conform to traditional gender roles

  
  

  AO2

  Requires a small scale approach to understand criminality. Women shouldn't be treated differently to men in the CJS.

  
  

  AO3

  Women commit different crimes than men. Different punishments should be given
• Smart 


  No core characteristics of crime. Fractured identities means explanations are multi causal.

  
  

  AO2

  Majority of women who commit crime are from working class backgrounds

  
  

  AO3

  Too deterministic to place one characteristic onto all women as every woman is different
• Messerschmidt


  Hegemonic masculinity - Different groups of males turn to different types of crime to appear more masculine

  
  

  AO2

  All men are driven by monetary success. Want to be like David Beckham, nice cars, big houses etc.

  
  

  AO3

  Not all men want to be masculine e.g. gay men tend to be more feminine. Not all men are driven by monetary success