Overview
This lecture discusses the reasons behind the rise in female criminality over the past 50 years, using sociological theories and statistics to explain these changes.
Trends in Female Criminality
- Female criminality has increased significantly over the past five decades.
- Women account for 15% of arrests but make up 26% of defendants and 27% of convictions.
- Only 2% of convicted women receive custodial sentences compared to 10% of men.
- Female prisoners are more likely to have mental health issues and self-harm compared to male prisoners.
Sociological Explanations
- Carlen’s Class and Gender Deals: Women reject societal deals (class/gender roles) due to decreased social controls, contributing to rising female crime.
- Histories of addiction among female prisoners suggest non-acceptance of traditional societal deals.
- Heidensohn’s Control Theory: Traditional controls (home, work, public) restricted women’s criminality; as these controls lessen, female offending increases.
- Common female crimes include shoplifting, TV license evasion, and offenses related to family provision.
- Recent data shows an increase in violent offenses by women with over 50,000 cases in 2019.
Feminism and Social Change
- Adler’s Liberation Thesis: Second-wave feminism and greater female liberation have led to increased criminal opportunities for women.
- Initially criticized as middle-class women’s crime rates did not rise, but overall opportunities for crime have expanded for women of all classes.
Gender Socialization and Roles
- Parsons’ Sex Role Theory: Traditional gender roles socialize women to be less criminal, but changing socialization encourages assertiveness, leading to more female deviance.
- Balancing both expressive (emotional) and instrumental (provider) roles creates strain and may prompt deviant behavior.
Changes in Policing and Judiciary
- The decline of the "chivalry thesis" (belief women are treated leniently) as police and courts have become less male-dominated.
- Moral panics about female gangs and changing perceptions mean women are prosecuted more often for crimes previously seen as male-dominated.
Recent Developments
- Recent decline in overall female crime, but women are entering organized and traditionally male-dominated crimes, such as drug dealing and sexual offenses.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Class and Gender Deals — Societal expectations offering rewards for conforming to class and gender roles.
- Control Theory — The idea that social controls restrict deviance; less control leads to more crime.
- Liberation Thesis — The claim that women's liberation leads to increased female criminality.
- Chivalry Thesis — The notion that the criminal justice system treats women more leniently because of paternalistic attitudes.
- Expressive Role — The family role emphasizing care, emotion, and nurturing, traditionally associated with women.
- Instrumental Role — The family role focused on providing and decision-making, traditionally associated with men.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review sociological theories of gender and crime.
- Prepare notes on how each theory explains rising female criminality.
- Read Ministry of Justice reports on women and crime for updated statistics.