1. Feminist Theory The Gender Ratio The “Feminization of Crime”
The Generalization Problem

2. The Gender Gap or Ratio Males dominate Criminal Offending UCR data
Total Offending Male to Female is 3.5 to 1
Serious Violent Male to Female is 5 to 1
Relationship holds for self-report data, over time, across societies
One exception is for juvenile “status offenses”

3. Is the gender gap shrinking?
Yes and No
Yes:
The gender gap has shrunk a little bit, but still very large
% increase in female offending is misleading
b/c small base rate, minor increases are amplified
Adler’s “Women’s Lib” hypothesis
You’ve come a long way baby, but you still commit “traditional” female crimes

4. Explaining the Gender Gap
Can Mainstream Theory Explain the Gender Gap?
Gender Crime/Delinquency
Mainstream Theory
Variables

5. Example of Study: Jensen (2001)
Gender Delinquency
Deterrence
Self-Concept/Sex Roles
Antisocial Attitudes
Maternal Controls
Delinquent Peers

6. And the winners are… Antisocial Attitudes Delinquent Peers
Gender Roles
Combination of these three “knocks gender out” of the picture
Or, “controlling” for these factors, gender no longer predicts delinquency

7. The “Generalizibility Issue”
Patriarchal societyMales also dominate criminological theorizing
Are males biased in their perspective?
Traditional image of females as “good”
If delinqeunt or criminal = pathology
Tests of delinquency based on males?
Can “male” theories of crime explain female delinquency?
Similar questions have been raised regarding intervention/treatment

8. Factors Unique Female Offending?
Gender Roles
Physical Maturity
Caspi et al = Delinquent Peers x early Maturity
Sexual abuse
Self-esteem

9. What is the “evidence?”
Many mainstream theories have been tested on females
Most predict female offending as well as male offending
Some (control theories) predict female offending better than male offending
Could we still do better?
“Feminist theories of crime

10. Other Feminist Concerns
The Corrections System
1 prison per state
Treatment programs
Few available, geared towards male, stereotypical
Still belief in “pathology”
Women much more likely to be medicated
Issues of pregnancy and children