Feminist Theory The Gender Ratio The Feminization of

Feminist Theory The Gender Ratio The “Feminization of Crime” The Generalization Problem

The Gender Gap or Ratio • Males dominate Criminal Offending – UCR data • Total Offending Male to Female is 3. 5 to 1 • Serious Violent Male to Female is 5 to 1 – Relationship holds for self-report data, over time, across societies • One exception is for juvenile “status offenses”

Is the gender gap shrinking? • Yes and No • Yes: – The gender gap has shrunk a little bit, but still very large • % increase in female offending is misleading • b/c small base rate, minor increases are amplified • Adler’s “Women’s Lib” hypothesis – You’ve come a long way baby, but you still commit “traditional” female crimes

Explaining the Gender Gap • Can Mainstream Theory Explain the Gender Gap? Gender Crime/Delinquency Mainstream Theory Variables

Example of Study: Jensen (2001) Gender Delinquency Deterrence Self-Concept/Sex Roles Antisocial Attitudes Maternal Controls Delinquent Peers

And the winners are… • Antisocial Attitudes • Delinquent Peers • Gender Roles • Combination of these three “knocks gender out” of the picture – Or, “controlling” for these factors, gender no longer predicts delinquency

The “Generalizibility Issue” • Patriarchal society Males also dominate criminological theorizing – Are males biased in their perspective? • Traditional image of females as “good” • If delinqeunt or criminal = pathology – Tests of delinquency based on males? – Can “male” theories of crime explain female delinquency? • Similar questions have been raised regarding intervention/treatment

Factors Unique Female Offending? • Gender Roles • Physical Maturity – Caspi et al = Delinquent Peers x early Maturity • Sexual abuse • Self-esteem

What is the “evidence? ” • Many mainstream theories have been tested on females – Most predict female offending as well as male offending – Some (control theories) predict female offending better than male offending • Could we still do better? – “Feminist theories of crime

Other Feminist Concerns • The Corrections System – 1 prison per state – Treatment programs • Few available, geared towards male, stereotypical – Still belief in “pathology” • Women much more likely to be medicated – Issues of pregnancy and children