Gender patterns in crime
- Created by: charl_w
- Created on: 08-02-16 19:40
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- Gender patterns in crime
- Do women commit more crime?
- Sociologists argue official stats underestimate the amount of female crime offending.
- Female crime is less likely to be reported e.g women shoplifting is less likely to be reported than mens violence.
- Even when women crimes are reported, they are less likely to be prosecuted.
- Female crime is less likely to be reported e.g women shoplifting is less likely to be reported than mens violence.
- Female crime is less likely to be reported e.g women shoplifting is less likely to be reported than mens violence.
- Even when women crimes are reported, they are less likely to be prosecuted.
- Sociologists argue official stats underestimate the amount of female crime offending.
- The Chivalry thesis
- The idea that women are less likely to be prosecuted for their offences is called the chivalry thesis.
- This argues the criminal justice system is more lenient on women, because its agents-police officers, judges are men who are socialised to 'act chivalrously' towards women.
- Pollak argues men have a protective attitude to women, so are unwilling to arrest, charge, prosecute or convict them.
- Their crimes are less likely to end up in official stats, giving an invalid picture that under-represents female crime.
- Evidence for the chivalry thesis.
- Self report studies show that female offenders are treated more leniently.
- Graham and Bowling found young males were 2.33 more times likey than female to admit to having committed an offence in the previous year.
- Whereas the official statistics show males as four times more likey to offend.
- Compared with men, women are more likey to be cautioned rather than prosecuted.
- Hood's study of over 3000 defendants found that women were about 1/3 less likey to be jailed in similar cases.
- Evidence against the chivalry thesis
- Farrington and Morris' study of a magistrates court found women were not sentenced more leniently for comparable offences.
- Box's review on self report studies concludes that women who commit serious offences are not treated more favourably than men.
- Farrington and Morris' study of a magistrates court found women were not sentenced more leniently for comparable offences.
- Bias against women
- Feminists argue that the criminal justice is biased against women. They argue that the cjs treats women more harshly,
- especially when they deviate from gender norms of monogamous heterosexuality and motherhood.
- Heidensohn notes the double standards of courts punishing girls, but not boys, for promiscuous
- Carlen found scottish courts were much more likey to jail women whose children were in care than women they saw as good mothers.
- Walklate argues that in **** cases it is the victim that is on trial, since she has to prove her respectability in order to have her evidence accepted
- Feminists argue that the criminal justice is biased against women. They argue that the cjs treats women more harshly,
- Explaining female crime
- Overall in women do seem to have a lower rate of offending than men.
- Bias against women
- Feminists argue that the criminal justice system is not biased in favour in women, as the chivalry thesis claims, it is biased against them.
- The argue the cjs treats women more harshly especially when they deviate from norms of monogamous marriage or motherhood.
- Heidensohn notes the double standards of courts punishing girls but not boys for sexual activity.
- Carlen found scottish courts were more likely to jail women whose children were in care than women whom they saw as good mothers.
- Do women commit more crime?
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