Gender and Crime

Make a list of typical male
crimes and typical female

crimes
Male
Crimes
Female
Crimes
Does this shock you? Why?
Does this shock you? Why?
These statistics raise important questions:

Do women really commit fewer crimes, or are the figures an invalid picture of
the gender patterns in crime?
How can we explain why those women to do offend commit crimes?
Why do males commit more crimes than females?
Do women commit more crime?

There is an argument to say that typical female crimes such as shoplifting
are less likely to be reported. Crimes against property is less likely to be
noticed or reported than violent or sexual crimes.
In terms of prostitution, is either side of the crime likely to report it?
Sex Role Theory and Gender

Socialisation
Traditionally, society has very different roles for males and females.
Womens traditional roles involving caring for partners, children and dependent
elderly relatives, combined with responsibilities for house work and family
management, and often paid employment.
Gender characteristics such as being more emotional, less competitive, less tough
and aggressive, and more averse to taking risks then men
McRobbie (1978)
Believed that teenage girls were less likely to commit crime because they were
more likely to spend time in their bedrooms rather then going out. Therefore
they had no opportunity to commit crime.
Questions
1)How could the internet have made this research out of date?
2)What other ways are there to criticise this research?
3)How could you support this research?
1)What is similar with these sociologists?

2)How might this affect their research into criminal activity and their
representation of gender?
3)Why might males sociologists find it difficult to research female
offenders?
Chivalry Thesis
The chivalry thesis suggests that a male dominated criminal justice system
means women are treated more leniently than men.
Evidence for the chivalry thesis:
1)According to the Home Office, women are consistently treated more
leniently by the law, with first offenders about half as likely to be given a
sentence of immediate imprisonment.
2)Female offenders are generally regarded by the police as a less men, and
are therefore more likely to benefit from more informal approaches to their
offences.
Evidence against the chivalry theory

Women who commit serious offences are likely to get much more severe
punishments than men. Carlen (1997) Thought this was because women
were seen to be guilty twice firstly for their crime and secondly for
failing to be a good women.
Women are more likely to be put in custody then men while waiting charges.
Invisible Crime
1)What types of criminal activity would you most commonly associate with
women?
2)Why might some of these crimes become dark figures of crime?
3)Why might some victims be less likely to report a crime if it had been
committed by a women.
Bias against women

Feminists argue that instead of the CJS being forgiving to women, they are
actually bias against them.
Heidensohn (1996) argues that women who stray away from the gender norms
are treated more harsh than a male.
Carlen (1997) states that when women are imprisoned, it is less likely to be
for their crime than as a judgement of them as a wife or a mother.
Carol Smart quotes Judge Wild:
Women who say no do not always mean it. It

is not just a question of how she says it, how
she shows and makes it clear. If she doesn't
want it she only has to keep her legs shut.
What does this quote tell you?
Carlen: class and gender deals p.104

Read the paragraph and summarise the study
Liberalisation theory - Adler (1975)

If societies control changes so that women and men are completely equal, it is
fair to assume that womens crime rate would be the same as men's.
Over time, women's types of crimes have changed from the traditional
female crimes (shoplifting, prostitution) to the traditional male crimes
(armed robbery, car theft).
Evidence:
growth in proportion of females committing male crimes
media talks of girl gangs (Denscombe, 2001).
Criticisms of Alders liberalisation theory

Female crime rate actually started rising in the 50s - long
before the liberalisation movement in the 60s.
Most female criminals are working class - the least likely to
be involved in women's liberalisation
Chesney Lind found that women were branching out to drugs
more as a link with prostitution - not because they were
liberalised.
Little evidence that the illegitimate crime opportunity
structure has been opened up to women.
Men and Crime

By their 40th birthday 1/3 males have convictions
and only 1/10 for woman.
Men are responsible for about 4/5 recorded
offences.
Males are more likely to be repeat offenders, have
longer criminals careers and commit more serious
crimes.
The Assertion of Masculinity

Messerschmidt (1993) argues that 'masculinity
is an 'accomplishment, something that men
constantly have to prove to others and build on.
Some men have more resources than other to
be able to do this.
Messerschmidt (1993)
Hegemonic masculinity - The dominant form of masculinity
that the majority of men want to accomplish. It is fuelled by
heterosexuality, paid work, aggression, toughness,
competitiveness, and ability to subordinate women (gender
norms).
Subordinated masculinities: some men who cant get to
hegemonic masculinity turn to crime because they lack
resources. For example lower classes or ethnic
minorities.Messerschmidt also says that MC men do also
commit white-collar crime
When might men turn to crime?

Why would they turn to crime?
Evaluation:
Not all crimes can be considered in aid of masculinity so
why do some men commit them?
Circular argument: masculinity is an description of male
offenders not an explanation of crime. For example,
masculinity explains male crimes (violence) because the
crimes are committed by males (who have violent
characteristics).
Winlow: Post-modernity, masculinity and

crime:
Manual jobs which were used to express masculinity are now declining or have
already declined. But there has also been an incline in service and leisure
opportunities like clubs. Which combine employment and lucrative criminal
activities. Simon Winlows (2001) study of bouncers in de-industrialised
Sunderland he found that working as bouncers provided jobs and opportunity
for illegal dealings in drugs as well a violence.
Using Cloward and Ohlins conflict and criminal subculture distinction he says
that there has always been a violent conflict subculture in Sunderland. But
the absence in criminal structures left little opportunity for organised crime
Item B
According to crime statistics, men are more likely than women to commit crime.
However, this statistical difference may be due to the way in which the criminal
justice system deals with men and women. In some cases, the nature of female
crimes means that they are less likely to be recorded.
Men and women seem to commit different types of crime. Those committed by
women are seen as more serious if they go against expected gender norms. For
men, crime can be seen as an expression of masculinity and a way of gaining social
status.
Using material from Item B and elsewhere, assess sociological
explanations of gender differences in the patterns of crime.
21 marks.

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Make a list of typical male

crimes and typical female

Does this shock you? Why?

Does this shock you? Why?

These statistics raise important questions:

How can we explain why those women to do offend commit crimes?

Why do males commit more crimes than females?

Do women commit more crime?

In terms of prostitution, is either side of the crime likely to report it?

Sex Role Theory and Gender

1)What is similar with these sociologists?

Evidence against the chivalry theory

Bias against women

Carol Smart quotes Judge Wild:

Women who say no do not always mean it. It

Carlen: class and gender deals p.104

Liberalisation theory - Adler (1975)

Criticisms of Alders liberalisation theory

Men and Crime

The Assertion of Masculinity

When might men turn to crime?

Winlow: Post-modernity, masculinity and

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