Theories of Crime: Gender and Crime

THEORIES OF CRIME UNIT 4 GENDER AND CRIME  Contents Statistics of crimes conducted by women Sex role theory Feminist perspective (Marginalisation theory, Control theory) Liberation thesis Biological theories Chivalry thesis Female Criminality Factors...

THEORIES OF CRIME UNIT 4 GENDER AND CRIME  Contents Statistics of crimes conducted by women Sex role theory Feminist perspective (Marginalisation theory, Control theory) Liberation thesis Biological theories Chivalry thesis Female Criminality Factors affecting female criminality Female criminology (Liberal feminism, Radical feminism, Marxist feminism) Causes of female criminology (Biological, Psychological and sociological) Strategies to reduce female offending References  Feminism Feminism in criminology attempts to understand crime, criminal justice and society from a gendered perspective How gender inequality intersects with crime, victimization and the criminal justice system Men and women may engage in different types of crime which might include several offences and various reasons for those offences Structural, individual, social and cultural factors play an important role in contributing to victimization, emphasizing the role of gender inequality, power imbalance and attitudes towards women  Feminism Gender intersects with race, class, sexuality, and ethnicity, to shape experiences of crime and criminal justice Intersectional analysis highlights the unique vulnerabilities and experiences of women from diverse backgrounds and challenges the notion of a singular, universal "woman's experience" in relation to crime and victimization Feminist criminology acknowledges of patriarchy and male dominance in the criminal justice system Important to consider gender as a central factor in understanding issues of crime and social control, challenging traditional theories and practices that neglect or marginalize gender perspectives Source: https://uollb.com/blogs/uol/feminism-in-criminology?srsltid=AfmBOood04oTLG5JWujRZIhFZHcEIugjVRsqaMh 9Mjrpra7ukgBhcABS  Statistics of crimes conducted by women Crime convicted under Indian Penal Code (6.15% are women) in 2019 Women offenders arrested between 18-20 years in 2018 (4.13 %) As per 2019 data, the percentage has increased to 6.15% (Khushalani, 2021) Data gathered from source: Female Criminality: Another dark side of Patriarchy. (Khushalani, 2021). https://www.legalserviceindia.com/legal/article-5184-female-criminality-another-dark-side-of-patriarchy.html  Sex role theory Crime rate is different for different genders because gender roles, identities and the process of socialization varies. Embedded values and norms with respect to feminine qualities do not encourage criminal behavior in females Parsons (1937) mentions the perceived role of women to be caring and empathic and this could be a reason for them to not engage in harming others Attachment and bond with the family and social circle seems to be more in females and that is why they are less likely to commit crime Parsons mentions about ‘second shift’ which means that they are bestowed with duties of child rearing and household jobs and thus, they are busier than men to give time to engage in criminal behavior  Feminist perspective: Marginalisation and control theory Women’s position in the male-dominated society is marginalised and that is why, men commit more crimes Men are not bound by household responsibilities and thus, they have more scope to commit crimes in the organization Control theory Men are not as controlled as women. Heidensohn (1985) postulated that girls are controlled by their fathers or husbands and the absence of this control in men leads to criminal activity  Liberation thesis Women have started earning for their living and their opportunities have grown which have resulted in higher crime rates. She argues that as women achieve similar social standings and employment patterns as men, they start to resemble men's criminal behaviours as well. As women are rising to be at par with men, in terms of employment options, they are showing similar trends to criminality as that of men (Adler, 1975).  Biological theories The biological composition is different for males and females and thus, this could be a precursor for the difference in crime rates among males and females Men have higher levels of testosterone, which results in higher aggression levels, leading to increase in crime rates.  Chivalry thesis As per the statistics, women commit less crimes as compared to men. Sociologists consider this to not reflect reality. Most male law enforcement officers might protect women from the criminal justice system out of a gentlemanly or courteous attitude known as the chivalry thesis. Study found that women who committed crimes but behaved in accordance to the societal norms, such as appeared gentle, docile and caressing, received easy treatment as compared to those who committed harsher crimes especially against children. The study found that not acting in accordance with the gender stereotypes, led women to receive harsher punishments. Bonnie and Clyde effect: Gender inequality is seen in reporting of crimes where men and women collaborate to commit a crime. Males might not be comfortable with a female partner in crime and women are seen from a victim’s lens while male as a perpetrator (Grabe et. al., 2006)  Female criminality Increase noticed in female criminality Reasons could be: status, women’s liberation, financial freedom, independence in politics Women, seen to be involved in non-traditional crimes as well Crime has shown an upward trend but laws still tend to be the same (Asthana, 2020)  Factors affecting female criminality Biological factors: Factors such as hormonal imbalances affect female criminality. Pregnancy and menopause, mood swings, craving and impulses, hindrance of awareness are some factors hinting towards criminal behavior Industrialization and Modernization: Female criminality is thought to exude from the changes of the society from conventions to innovation. To be able to bridge a gap between social objectives and methods accessible to accomplish them lead to aggression bringing a deviation in women Personal factors: Not receiving proper treatment by in-laws and relatives could be contributing factors to women resorting to crime as they experience lack of love from the family and husband’s drinking, smoking and such habits could result in resorting to aggressive tendencies. Poverty: Is one of the biggest contributing factors in female criminality especially in india (Asthana, 2020)  Factors affecting female criminality Psychological factors: Disappointing events, adaptability issues, relational issues, constant fights, adjustment issues Social factors: Educational inadequacy, rivalry, ill-managed parenting, neighbourhood issues Under-age employment and bad working conditions: Major contributing economic factors for crimes in females Women’s emancipation: With advancement in the outlook and growing opportunities for females, they have started to work and earn a living, which was initially considered to be a responsibility of the male. Thus, they have an opportunity to engage in crimes as equally as a male counterpart (Asthana, 2020)  Female criminology Feminist criminology attempts to understand why people commit crimes so that policies can be accordingly made to curb the crime rate. Since it was assumed that women commit less crimes and those crimes do not cause any harm to public safety, crimes committed by women were ignored till 1970s. Theorists felt the need to study male criminology because they assumed women to just be a small part of it. So, they never took the subject of studying female criminology separately. This led to the emergence of studying female criminology. Crime has always been seen from a male perspective. Female criminology seeks to find both males and female perpetrators of crime and how the legal system responds to those crimes  Female criminology Liberal feminism Focus on political rights and equality Aim a gender equal space in education, workspace, marriage etc. so that women are self sufficient and not resort to men for sustenance Supporting abortion rights and sexual harassment against females Since women are working, independent and financially aiming towards stability, they might engage in committing crimes too (Lexpeeps, 2022)  Female criminology Radical feminism Combats the system of patriarchy Focuses on sexuality Male control is seen to be the root of all issues Since males exert dominance and control over women, females are oppressed and they engage in criminal activities to be free from this domination (Lexpeeps, 2022)  Female criminology Marxist feminism Women are paid less wages as compared to men for the same kind of job Women lack opportunities in the era which has male dominance Exploitation among the different classes in the society leads to gender inequlaities and increase in sexual violence (Pasi, 2023)  Causes of Female criminality in India Biological causes Contribution by Lombroso Saw females to be worse than males in terms of criminal behavior Shared attributions with children and their lack of intellectual stand or viewpoints could be a factor that they engage in criminal behaviors If the criminal is a woman, she is thought to have worst qualities of a female and deviant criminal male qualities Authors feel Indian women appear to engage in crime because they are deprived socially and economically than due to biological differences According to Pollack, during menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, women experience frequent changes in mood, cravings for food and impulses due to which there is a disorientation and disruption in conscious activities and behavior, thereby resulting in higher criminal activity. Fails to explain specific traits that may be involved in committing crime as many people have made crime as a way to earn money or as their profession using highly sophisticated skills or techniques (Mili et. al., 2015)  Causes of Female criminality in India Psychological causes Women who are dissatisfied with their traditional roles as mothers, wives etc. seem to experience problems with respect to adjustment in the society. They appear to experience emotional instability, insecurity, rejection and a higher level of stress as compared to the male counterparts because of roadblocks in opportunities, conflict between being a mother and her career etc. Women find it hard to display anger and they vent out through feelings of guilt, sadness, sense of failure etc. and when their suppressed feelings are bottled up, they may resort to violence as a channel to vent out In India, several crimes have taken place due to depression and frustration (Mili et. al., 2015)  Causes of Female criminality in India Sociological factors Women face a reduction in the number of opportunities that can help them achieve financial independence and attain economic stability (Mili et. al., 2015) Crimes such as child poisoning, sexual crimes, abortions, shop lifting etc. are not due to their physiological characteristics or composition. It is due to their socio-economic conditions (Mili et. al., 2015) When the husband is neglectful, engages in extra-marital affairs, deprivation of basic needs, females appear to engage in criminal activity. This family and basic needs such as getting accepted plays a crucial role (Sharma, 1963) When male members in the family is known to be a ‘criminal’, the same label gets passed on to the female as well. So, socio cultural factors such as the family around plays an important role (Mili et. al., 2015).  Strategies to reduce female offending Reduce disparity between male and female crimes Increase education among females so that they can sustain themselves More opportunities for employment Providing stable place for residence Early psychotherapeutic interventions Community support and interventions Creating of female support groups Police support and training for working with vulnerable females (Campaniello, 2019)  ACTIVITY “Women may turn to crime to defend themselves or escape abusive situations or from emotional abuse, such as name calling, isolation, and intimidation, can be just as damaging as physical violence.” Discuss this in lines of female criminology and do you think this is justified in the Indian context?  References Campaniello, N. (2019). Women in crime. IZA World of Labor. https://doi.org/10.15185/izawol.105.v2 Gender and crime. (n.d.). StudySmarter UK. https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/social-studies/crime-and-deviance/gender-and-crime/ Grabe, M. E., Trager, K. D., Lear, M., & Rauch, J. (2006). Gender in Crime News: A case study test of the chivalry hypothesis. Mass Communication and Society, 9(2), 137–163. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327825mcs0902_2 Female Criminality: Another dark side of Patriarchy. (Khushalani, 2021). https://www.legalserviceindia.com/legal/article-5184-female-criminality-another-dark-side-of-patriarchy.html Kulshreshtha, Y. (2020). Female criminality in India — Ylcube. YLCube. https://ylcube.com/c/blogs/female-criminality-india/ Lexpeeps. (2022, August 13). An analysis of Feminist Criminology | LexPeeps. Lexpeeps. https://lexpeeps.in/an-analysis-of-feminist-criminology/ Mili, P. M. K., Perumal, R., & Cherian, N. S. (2015). Female criminality in India: prevalence, causes and preventive measures 1. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, 10(1), 65. https://www.sascv.org/ijcjs/pdfs/milietalijcjs2015vol10issue1.pdf Pasi. (2023). FEMINIST CRIMINOLOGY – A NEW BRANCH ON THE RISE - Legal Vidhiya. Legal Vidhiya - Legal Vidhiya. https://legalvidhiya.com/feminist-criminology-a-new-branch-on-the-rise/ Sharma, B. R. (1993). Crime and Women: A Pscyho-Diagnostic Study of Female Criminality. New Delhi: Indian Institute of Public Administration.