The Relationship Between Gender & Crime (AQA GCSE Sociology)
Revision Note
Written by: Raj Bonsor
Reviewed by: Cara Head
Official statistics on gender & crime
Official statistics suggest that females are less likely to offend and re-offend than males
Females are less likely to commit indictable offences
According to the Ministry of Justice (2022):
As of 30 June 2022, 4% of the prison population was female and this proportion has remained stable for the last 5 years
Of all female offenders cautioned or convicted in 2021, 35% were first-time offenders, whereas this figure was 22% for males
7% of male offenders were given a suspended sentence in 2021, compared to 17% of females
75% of male offenders were sentenced to immediate custody compared to 56% of females
In 2021, only 13% of female offenders were sentenced for indictable offences compared to 22% of male offenders
Explanations for women's lesser involvement in crime
There are several ways sociologists have explained women's lesser involvement in crime
Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
Gender socialisation | Females are less involved in crime than males, as girls are socialised into being passive and tend to have the main caring role. Males are more active, aggressive and likely to take risks. This may make them more likely to engage in criminal activity and lead them into trouble with the police. |
Different opportunities | Heidensohn argued that women have fewer opportunities than men to commit crimes as their behaviour and freedom are more closely controlled and they have more domestic responsibilities than men. |
The chivalry thesis | Female offenders are treated more leniently than males because the male-dominated CJS holds stereotyped beliefs about women as needing help, not punishment. They are more likely to receive lenient treatment, as they are seen as not fully responsible for their actions. |
However, other approaches argue that female offenders are treated more harshly than males because their behaviour is seen as unfeminine (the double deviance thesis)
Explanations for women's increasing involvement in crime
Recent statistics show that the gender gap in crime rates is narrowing
In the UK, more women are being arrested for violent crimes, and there are more female offenders who are over 21 years
Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
The changing position of women | Although women are gaining equality in the workplace, they have lost many of the controls that deterred them from crime. Some argue that feminism is linked to the rise in female offenders over the last 40 years. |
Poverty | Women are more likely than men to work in low-paid, unskilled and part-time jobs. Women's involvement in crime is due to their economic situation, which explains why female offenders tend to be poor and more involved in shoplifting. |
Changing attitudes to gender and crime | More women are now being arrested, charged and convicted rather than committing more crimes. They are no longer treated leniently by the CJS, so the chivalry effect is less common. |
Worked Example
Here is an example of a research methods question in context:
Identify and explain one disadvantage of using official statistics to understand the extent of crime committed by women.
[4 marks]
Model Answer:
Identify the disadvantage in the context of the question:
A disadvantage is that the chivalry thesis argues that women are under-represented in crime statistics because they are treated more lightly by the police and criminal justice system.
Elaborate in the context of the question:
This is a weakness because crimes committed by women may not appear in official statistics even when reported to the police. Therefore, official statistics ignore the hidden or 'dark figure' of crime, which prevents researchers from drawing valid conclusions.
Level 4 response: 4 marks
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