Module: Victimology
Lecture 4: Feminist Victimology
Feminist approaches to victimology
Looks into the early life experiences where women are likely to be victimised
more than others.
The experiences and pains of imprisonment for women – what the impact is
on them and their family and how it differs from the experiences of male
prisoners.
The gendered nature of criminal victimisation – how do women experience
criminal victimisation different to men? Women do have different experiences
and are vulnerable to certain types of crimes.
The relationship between women’s victimisation and offending what
women adult offenders have experienced may have provoked the crime they
have committed – potentially mitigates the offences they have been convicted
of.
Women’s perception of how vulnerable they are to victimisation. It plays into a
patriarchal society.
Fear or victimisation and actual victimisation.
The gendered nature of violent victimisation
We don’t experience victimisation equally – factors such as ethnicity and class
plays into it.
Men are far more likely to be victims of a homicide.
Female are far more likely to be murdered by an intimate partner.
The government does not take violence against women and girls seriously.
However, when it does, a lot of the times it’s very narrow where they look at
domestic violence. It ignores assaults on women in the public arena.
On attempts to capture public fear of crime, research carried out consistently
demonstrate that women report higher levels of fear than men.
There is a perception that women are safer than men e.g. when we are
young, we are told by our parents to look for a female stranger for help
instead of a male stranger if we get lost.
Socialisation practices in teaching boys and girls to manage risk – e.g. to
always let somebody know where you are, to make sure you don’t leave your
drinks unattended, to not wear revealing clothes.
Girls are raised to be very conscious of potential threats and how this threat
comes from males not females.
You have juries making assumptions of male and female gendered norms,
making ignorant decisions.
Lecture 4: Feminist Victimology
Feminist approaches to victimology
Looks into the early life experiences where women are likely to be victimised
more than others.
The experiences and pains of imprisonment for women – what the impact is
on them and their family and how it differs from the experiences of male
prisoners.
The gendered nature of criminal victimisation – how do women experience
criminal victimisation different to men? Women do have different experiences
and are vulnerable to certain types of crimes.
The relationship between women’s victimisation and offending what
women adult offenders have experienced may have provoked the crime they
have committed – potentially mitigates the offences they have been convicted
of.
Women’s perception of how vulnerable they are to victimisation. It plays into a
patriarchal society.
Fear or victimisation and actual victimisation.
The gendered nature of violent victimisation
We don’t experience victimisation equally – factors such as ethnicity and class
plays into it.
Men are far more likely to be victims of a homicide.
Female are far more likely to be murdered by an intimate partner.
The government does not take violence against women and girls seriously.
However, when it does, a lot of the times it’s very narrow where they look at
domestic violence. It ignores assaults on women in the public arena.
On attempts to capture public fear of crime, research carried out consistently
demonstrate that women report higher levels of fear than men.
There is a perception that women are safer than men e.g. when we are
young, we are told by our parents to look for a female stranger for help
instead of a male stranger if we get lost.
Socialisation practices in teaching boys and girls to manage risk – e.g. to
always let somebody know where you are, to make sure you don’t leave your
drinks unattended, to not wear revealing clothes.
Girls are raised to be very conscious of potential threats and how this threat
comes from males not females.
You have juries making assumptions of male and female gendered norms,
making ignorant decisions.
