SociologyExchange.co.uk Shared Resource

Crime and Gender

Learning Objective

To know sociological explanations for gender

differences in crime. To be able to apply the concept of

Chivalry thesis

Expectations

• In general how do people think…

Girls should act Boys should act

1. ...2. …3. …

1. …2. …3. …

What do the statistics say?????

• Females are less likely to offend than males.

• In 2006 – 99,900 females were found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable (serious) offences, compared with 407,100 males in England Wales

• Of offenders in England and Wales - 20% are female and 80% are male

Sociology GCSE for AQA Text book

Theories

• Opportunities for criminal behaviour– Females have fewer opportunities then males to

commit crime– Greater supervision for girls than boys– Women have greater domestic responsibilities

• Primary / Secondary Socialisation– From early childhood we have different expectations

of children's behaviour according to gender– Boys/men conform to society’s views of masculinity

–pressure to act ‘tough’

• Lifestyle Factors– Men more-likely to out at night, in clubs, pubs, etc.

where alcohol / illegal drugs are used. May lead to “loss of control” and relatively minor forms of crime as well as violence

– Women less likely to be in public areas at night. Any crimes will be committed in privacy of the home.

• Labelling (Stereotypes and Scapegoats)– Law enforcement agencies hold stereotypical beliefs

about men and women– Females offenders seen as ‘sad’ rather than bad,

therefore need help rather than punishment…

Question

Do you think that being socialised into different gender roles helps

to explain why more men commit more crime than

women?

On the other hand!!!!!!!• Females punished by the courts have increased by

almost ten per cent in two years to and is now at its highest level since 2004.

• Police warn of a growing trend of teenage girls, some as young as 14, being used to stash guns for criminals after a sharp rise in those caught with firearms.

• A total of 12,265 females were sentenced by the courts in the first three months of this year, a seven per cent rise on the same quarter last year and up nine per cent on 2007, according the Ministry of Justice statistics.

• In June it emerged the number of women involved in alcohol-related trouble has increased by almost a third in two years while, in May, figures showed females are now involved in a quarter of violent attacks.

Telegraph 2010

SAD v BAD

• Chivalry Thesis - Females offenders seen as ‘sad’ rather than bad, therefore need help rather than punishment…

• Double Deviancy - Females are deviating from expected roles within society therefore should receive harsher punishment

– Once for the crime

– Twice for not acting feminine

Newspaper article

“ Judges told:‘be more lenient to women

criminals’ ”

Homework

Find other high profile cases of female criminals for homework, decide if the chivalry thesis applies.

write a paragraph on whether the chivalry thesis really exists in the criminal justice system