Gender and crime

• Official statistics show men commit more crime than women, however sociologists disagree on the reasons why
• Sociological explanations for why women commit less crime than men

  • Patriarchal control theory
  • Functionalist sex role theory
• Patriarchal control theory (Heidensohn)


  Women have at least one male figure in their life who does not want them to commit crime
• Functionalist sex role theory (Parsons)


  Due to their biology and the way they are socialised, women are nurturing by nature, and therefore are incapable of/do not want to commit crime. Women are too preoccupied being a mother.
• Sociological explanations for why women commit more crime than in the past

  • Chivalry thesis
  • Liberation thesis
  • Class and gender deals
• Chivalry thesis (Pollak)


  Men have a protective attitude towards women and thus are more lenient, so their crimes are less likely to end up in official statistics. For instance, women are more likely to be 'let off' for crimes such as speeding.
• Liberation thesis (Alder)


  Women are now becoming much more equal in society with men, therefore they now commit more crime.
• Class and gender deals (Carlen)


  Women have two deals - the class deal (if they work hard they will be financially rewarded in life) and the gender deal (if they are a good mother and wife they will be treated well). Carlen believes that when both deals break down, women turn to crime.
• Explanations for why men commit more crime than women

  • Masculinity
  • Globalisation
• Masculinity (Messerschmidt)


  Masculinity is an accomplishment that men constantly work at constructing and presenting to others. Crime and deviance are resources that different men may use to accomplish masculinity.
• Globalisation (Winlow)


  Globalisation has led to a decline in traditional manual jobs in which many working-class males could express their masculinity through. However, there has been an increase in the night-time leisure economy which has provided a combination of legal employment and criminal opportunities to express masculinity.
• Girls and women appear to commit fewer crimes than boys and men
• Females tend to commit different kinds of crime from males
• Traditionally male dominated criminology neglected female criminality, both because females were seen as committing less crime, and because their behaviour were seen as less in need of controlling
• Some sociologists have argued that crime is a way for some males to achieve and express their masculinity
• Females are more likely to be convicted for property offence, whereas males are more likely to be convicted for violent crime
• Males are more likely to be repeat offenders, have longer criminal careers and commit more serious crimes
• Typically female crimes such as shoplifting are less likely to be reported and to be noticed compared to sexual or violent crimes
• Sex role theory (Parsons)

  Socialisation - gender roles. Girls do not develop deviant values. Crimes are an extension of female roles. Girls follow female role model - gentle/caring.
• Parsons' sex role theory makes too much of a biological assumption that women are gentle/maternal etc.
• Chivalry thesis (Pollak)


  The idea that women are treated more leniently by the police and courts who are made up by mainly men who have been socialised to be chivalrous to women.
• Self-report studies show more women do crime (Graham and Bowling)
• Flood-page found that women who had admitted to committing crimes were less likely to be charged compared to men
• Women are cautioned more than men
• Hood found that women in court were 1/3 less likely to be imprisoned compared to men
• Farrington and Morris found that women are not sentenced more leniently for comparable offences
• Buckle and Farrington observed shoplifting - more men doing it than women (but crime stats show male/females about equal), so more men are getting away with it
• Women may be treated more leniently as offences are less serious
• Box found that women who commit serious crimes are not treated leniently
• Women are more likely to show remorse so more likely to get a caution
• Heidensohn claims the criminal justice system treats women more harshly than men for deviating from their gender roles
• Heidensohn claims there are double standards - courts punish 'wayward' girls for promiscuous sexual activity but not boys
• Carlen claims women are assessed more in terms of being wives, mothers and daughters, and less conventional girls are punished harsher
• The criminal justice system is patriarchal
• Smart claims rape cases involve judging the victim as to blame
• Rape victims have to prove their respectability
• Control theory (Heidensohn)


  Women have at least one male figure in their life who does not want them to commit crime. Women conform - controlled by patriarchal society and this reduces their opportunity to offend.
• Modern relationships are more equal, with more dual worker couples and less domestic violence
• Changing role/identity of girls - 'ladette' culture - means less fear in public
• Greater sexual freedom and terms like 'slag' are less potent