Gender and Crime

• In a nutshell


  Official statistics show men commit more crime than women, sociologists disagree on the reasons why. Some sociologists argue female offending rates go unnoticed/punished because the criminal justice system treats women more leniently, through ideas such as the chivalry thesis (Pollak). However, some sociologists believe the gender differences in offending is because of the way women are socialised meaning they have less opportunity or desire to commit crime. On the other hand, other sociologists argue women do commit crime, but men commit more due to the idea of ‘masculinity’.
• WHY WOMEN COMMIT LESS CRIME THAN MEN - PATRIARCHAL CONTROL THEORY


  Heidensohn argues women have at least one male figure in their life who does not want them to commit crime. 
• WHY WOMEN COMMIT LESS CRIME THAN MEN - FUNCTIONALIST SEX ROLE THEORY

  Parsons argues that 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.
• Women committing crime - CHIVALRY THESIS


  Pollak argues 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.
• Women committing crime - LIBERATION THESIS​


  Adler believes that women are now becoming much more equal in society with men, therefore they now commit more crime. 
• Women committing crime - CLASS AND GENDER DEALS

  Carlen suggests that women have two deals, the class deal and the gender deal. The class deal is that if they work hard they will be financially rewarded in life. The gender deal is that 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.
• Why men commit more crime than women - MASCULINITY​​

  Messerschmidt argues that masculinity is an accomplishment that men constantly work at constructing and presenting to others. This is referred to as the hegemonic masculinity, which is the dominant and prestigious form men wish to accomplish. Therefore, Messerschmidt sees crime and deviance as a resource that different men may use to accomplish masculinity.
• Why men commit more crime than women - GLOBALISATION


  Winlow argues that globalisation had 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.