GENDER THEORIES IN CRIMINOLOGY – critical realist
Part 1 (15%): write down the main premise of each theory
Part 2 ( 40%): multiple-choice questions
Part 3 (45%): long-answer (in-depth account of perspectives),
thorough account of perspectives, history, strengths, critiques –
origins, main concepts, significance and critiques
PART 1
Key premise
Grounded in the idea of gender as socially constructed, gender theories in
criminology focus on how gendered experiences of the world shape
criminal offending, victimisation and responses to crime.
PART 2
Which of the following is NOT a key focal point in gendered
theories of crime?
a) The nuanced relationship between gender, agency, and social
structures in shaping criminal behaviour and victimisation
b) The application of intersectionality to understand how gender
intersects with other social categories like race and class in the CJS
c) The role of vigilantism as a collective social response that operates
outside of formal gender-based power structures
d) The critical examination and reform of traditional, male-biased
research methods to better capture women’s experiences with
crime
In what area of criminal justice policy has feminist criminology
been particularly influential?
a) Reforming sentencing guidelines for WCC to address corporate
impunity and patriarchal influence
b) Shifting the policy and legal framework for gender-based violence
crimes from a private matter to a public issue
c) Implementing technological solutions to reduce car theft rates,
therefore making streets safer for women
d) Creating new protocols for investigating deaths in custody that
prioritise transparency and independent oversight
, 1. Key Premise of Gender Theories
Choose the right answer
Q1. Gender theories in criminology are grounded in the idea that:
A. Gender differences in crime are biologically determined
B. Gender is socially constructed and shapes experiences of crime and
justice
C. Women commit less crime due to moral superiority
D. Gender is irrelevant to criminological analysis
Correct answer: B
Choose all that apply
Q2. Gender theories in criminology focus on how gendered experiences
shape:
☐ Criminal offending
☐ Victimisation
☐ Criminal justice responses
☐ Genetic predispositions to crime
Correct answers:
☑ Criminal offending
☑ Victimisation
☑ Criminal justice responses
2. Origins and Historical Context
Choose the right answer
Q3. Early positivist criminologists such as Lombroso are criticised in
gender theories because they:
A. Ignored biological explanations of crime
B. Provided gender-neutral explanations of offending
C. Pathologised women and relied on sexist assumptions
D. Focused too heavily on structural inequality
Correct answer: C
Choose all that apply
Part 1 (15%): write down the main premise of each theory
Part 2 ( 40%): multiple-choice questions
Part 3 (45%): long-answer (in-depth account of perspectives),
thorough account of perspectives, history, strengths, critiques –
origins, main concepts, significance and critiques
PART 1
Key premise
Grounded in the idea of gender as socially constructed, gender theories in
criminology focus on how gendered experiences of the world shape
criminal offending, victimisation and responses to crime.
PART 2
Which of the following is NOT a key focal point in gendered
theories of crime?
a) The nuanced relationship between gender, agency, and social
structures in shaping criminal behaviour and victimisation
b) The application of intersectionality to understand how gender
intersects with other social categories like race and class in the CJS
c) The role of vigilantism as a collective social response that operates
outside of formal gender-based power structures
d) The critical examination and reform of traditional, male-biased
research methods to better capture women’s experiences with
crime
In what area of criminal justice policy has feminist criminology
been particularly influential?
a) Reforming sentencing guidelines for WCC to address corporate
impunity and patriarchal influence
b) Shifting the policy and legal framework for gender-based violence
crimes from a private matter to a public issue
c) Implementing technological solutions to reduce car theft rates,
therefore making streets safer for women
d) Creating new protocols for investigating deaths in custody that
prioritise transparency and independent oversight
, 1. Key Premise of Gender Theories
Choose the right answer
Q1. Gender theories in criminology are grounded in the idea that:
A. Gender differences in crime are biologically determined
B. Gender is socially constructed and shapes experiences of crime and
justice
C. Women commit less crime due to moral superiority
D. Gender is irrelevant to criminological analysis
Correct answer: B
Choose all that apply
Q2. Gender theories in criminology focus on how gendered experiences
shape:
☐ Criminal offending
☐ Victimisation
☐ Criminal justice responses
☐ Genetic predispositions to crime
Correct answers:
☑ Criminal offending
☑ Victimisation
☑ Criminal justice responses
2. Origins and Historical Context
Choose the right answer
Q3. Early positivist criminologists such as Lombroso are criticised in
gender theories because they:
A. Ignored biological explanations of crime
B. Provided gender-neutral explanations of offending
C. Pathologised women and relied on sexist assumptions
D. Focused too heavily on structural inequality
Correct answer: C
Choose all that apply
