2. Women and Crime Explanations Of Women’s Criminality Lombroso - In the 19 th Century he suggested that women deviants were ‘evolutionary throwbacks. Pollak 1950’s – Women are more adept at hiding crimes. They are biologically predisposed to deceiving men – faking orgasms etc..

3. Women and Crime Remember this scene in When Harry met Sally??

4. Women and Crime Biological Approaches Essential differences between men and women Female hormones PMS has been used in a number of court cases This has been seen as both a positive and negative step

5. Women and Crime Evaluating Biological Approaches If we accept that women can be affected by PMS in crime then it can be used to justify denying women areas of responsibility at work Parlee (1982) says PMS can be a social creation and a self-fulfilling prophecy

6. Women and Crime Psychological Explanations Of Female Deviance Unmarried mothers are more likely to be deviant than married mothers – Eysenck 1970 Such ‘extroverts’ were more likely to be promiscuous and deviant This links to the New Right attitude to single parents and breakdown of family However ‘ introverts’ are more associated with serial killers Sociologists tend to treat such approaches with a pinch of salt

7. Women and Crime Gender Socialisation Family Arguably we have moved away from ‘slugs snails, sugar and spice’ attitudes But ’pink’ and ‘blue’ still are important in parents attitudes, toys etc Girls and boys are still treated differently within the family context and at schools where the hidden curriculum attitude of ‘appropriate female’ behaviour is seen as an extension of this

8. Women and Crime Peers Particularly strong in adolescence Sex and Labelling of girl ‘Tart’ ‘slag’ etc Boys’ labels are different New phenomena of the ‘ladette’ and emergence of more girl gangs

9. Women and Crime Social Control - Heidenshon 1985 1. The Home Demands of childcare and housework limit opportunities for women

10. Women and Crime Social Control 2. In public Women are more fearful of travelling alone etc. Women find it harder to walk in to a pub alone etc. fearful of messages given out

11. Women and Crime Social Control 3. At Work Many workplaces still dominated by men Women who are assertive are seen as ‘pushy’ Many women prefer to work for a male

12. Women and Crime Opportunity Women’s opportunities to commit crime are severely limited by their socialisation and social control factors Women’s Liberation The advances for women in many areas have been seen as positive. Unfortunately women are gaining ground on men in the criminal area. Adler 1975 argues that changes in women’s positions have led to more females committing robberies and being involved in juvenile delinquency. (See the article by Anne Cambell p 511)