Topic 5 – Gender, Crime and Justice:
Gender Patterns in Crime:
By the age of 40, 1/3 of men have some sort of conviction compared to 1/10 women
In 2014, men accounted for ¾ of all convictions, 85% of all ‘serious’ crimes and 95%
of prisoners
Men are convicted for about 6 known criminal offences compared to every one
committed by a woman
The Chivalry Thesis:
Chivalry – a honourable way of behaving especially towards women
Argues that women are committing crime but are just getting away with it because
men are taught to be chivalrous
Most criminal justice agents are socialised to act ‘chivalrous’ towards women
Polak – ‘men hate to accuse women and thus send them to their punishment’,
Essentially the CJS is more lenient towards women so they are less likely to be
prosecuted as so end up on official statistics
o More likely to be released on bail, receive a fine rather than prison sentence
and less likely to receive a prison sentence overall
Criticism – some argue that in some cases, women are treated more harshly then
men
Explaining Female Crime:
Functionalist Sex Role Theory:
Suggests that women are socialised into and brought up to be passive so are less
likely to commit crime
Parsons traces gender differences in crime and deviance to his gender roles –
instrumental (men) and expressive (women)
Gender socialises women to adopt feminine characteristics which leads them to
avoid the risk-taking associating with committing crime and, because they are often
looking after children and doing housework, have less time and opportunity to
commit crime
Criticism – It’s view on women’s role within the household is very outdated. Many
women no longer have an expressive role in the household
Heidensohn: patriarchal control:
Heidensohn argues that women commit less crime because patriarchal society
imposes more control over women which reduces their opportunity to commit
crime
o Control at home – constant childcare and housework and they may also have
less opportunity for leisure if their husband controls the family money
Gender Patterns in Crime:
By the age of 40, 1/3 of men have some sort of conviction compared to 1/10 women
In 2014, men accounted for ¾ of all convictions, 85% of all ‘serious’ crimes and 95%
of prisoners
Men are convicted for about 6 known criminal offences compared to every one
committed by a woman
The Chivalry Thesis:
Chivalry – a honourable way of behaving especially towards women
Argues that women are committing crime but are just getting away with it because
men are taught to be chivalrous
Most criminal justice agents are socialised to act ‘chivalrous’ towards women
Polak – ‘men hate to accuse women and thus send them to their punishment’,
Essentially the CJS is more lenient towards women so they are less likely to be
prosecuted as so end up on official statistics
o More likely to be released on bail, receive a fine rather than prison sentence
and less likely to receive a prison sentence overall
Criticism – some argue that in some cases, women are treated more harshly then
men
Explaining Female Crime:
Functionalist Sex Role Theory:
Suggests that women are socialised into and brought up to be passive so are less
likely to commit crime
Parsons traces gender differences in crime and deviance to his gender roles –
instrumental (men) and expressive (women)
Gender socialises women to adopt feminine characteristics which leads them to
avoid the risk-taking associating with committing crime and, because they are often
looking after children and doing housework, have less time and opportunity to
commit crime
Criticism – It’s view on women’s role within the household is very outdated. Many
women no longer have an expressive role in the household
Heidensohn: patriarchal control:
Heidensohn argues that women commit less crime because patriarchal society
imposes more control over women which reduces their opportunity to commit
crime
o Control at home – constant childcare and housework and they may also have
less opportunity for leisure if their husband controls the family money
