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Topic Five: Gender, Crime and Deviance (Explanations for patterns of…
Topic Five: Gender, Crime and Deviance
Key Points
- Women are much less likely to commit sexual assaults (2%)
- They are also much more likely to be a victim
- Women commit murder less than men
- When they do murder, it is more likely to be an intimate (children, spouses)
- Recent trends suggest a convergence of violent crime with male violent crime
Male versus female
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By the age of 40, 9% of females have a criminal conviction, as against 32% of males
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Males are more likely to be repeat offenders, to have longer criminal careers and to commit more serious crimes
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Why do men commit crime?
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- Bouncers were the central figures involved in Winlow's 2001 study of masculinity in the formerly industrial city of Sunderland in the North-East
- He found that 'bouncing' offered many young men employment after de-industrialisation and employment engulfed the city
- Not only did bouncing provide legitimate employment, it also provided a way into organised crime in the 'night time economy' (the pubs, clubs and 'evening entertainment' industry)
- Winlow argues that in order to maintain their reputation and employability, the bouncers must maintain their 'body capital'
Gender and victimisation
- Large scale national victim surveys such as the Crime Survey for England and Wales show gender differences in the level and types of victimisation, and in the relationship between victims and offenders
- Homicide victims - 70% are male. Female victims are more likely to know their killer and in 60% of these cases, this was a partner or ex-partner. Males are most likely to be killed by a friend or acquintance
Victims of violence - fewer women than men are victims of violence. In addition:
- women are most likely to be victimised by an acquaintance, men by a stranger
- more women than men were victims of intimate violence (domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking) during their adult lives (31% versus 18%)
- ten times more women reported having been sexually assaulted than men
- only 8% of females who had experienced serious sexual assault reported it to the police. A third of those who didn't report it said they believed the police couldn't do much to help
- Research shows women have a greater fear of crime but the CSEW shows they are at less risk of victimisation. However, some local victims surveys such as by Lea and Young have found that women are in fact at greater risk than men. There is also some evidence from early studies that female victims of violence may be more likely to refuse to be interviewed
- Furthermore, victim surveys do not necessarily convey the frequency or severity of victimisation. For example, in the case of domestic abuse, Walby and Allen, have shown that women were much more likely to be victims of multiple incidents. Ansanra and Hindin found that women victims experienced more severe violence and control
SUMMARIES KEY THEORIES
Adler - Females commit more violent crimes. Liberation Thesis = more equality, escaping patriarchy
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Cohen - Socialisation is difficult for boys because they lack a male form of socialisation (Dad out at work all day!). They rebel into subcultural groups
Carlen - class and gender deals, crimes of desperation
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Messerschmidt - focuses on male based crime. Sub cultural groups, subordinate masculinity - gay men do not conform
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