Significant Aspects of Criminology of Females - Essay Example

Running Head: Females and Crime Females and Crime [Institute’s Females and Crime Introduction Criminology is a very wide and interdisciplinary field, which attracts experts from various subjects such as sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, political science, sociobiology, and others. Over the past few decades, experts from various fields have tried to explore the correlation between gender and crime and have tried to analyze the same in light of their own knowledge and field dynamics (Belknap, pp. 85, 2007). The common perception is and even the available data suggests that men, in general, are more likely to commit crimes than women are. However, over the past few years, in all around the world, women have appeared to be fastest growing demographic in prisons. Furthermore, there are experts, which believe that women have the same like hood to commit crimes but men are more likely to commit the violent crimes, which come into spotlight and receive heavy penalties (Heimer, & Kruttschnitt, pp. 317-320, 2006; Walklate, pp. 189-192, 2004). Therefore, this paper is an attempt to explore these two different perspectives on women crime and comment on the relative merits of different criminological themes and applications. Discussion Susan Nadler, in her article, Good Girls Gone Bad has identified eight categories and she believes than more than 98 percent of the women in the prison, fits into one more of the categories. First, women commit crime because they want to prove to the society that they are not what they society think they are. By engaging into crime and violence, they try the stereotype and common image about them. Second, there are women who commit crime after a series of events that pushed her to do the same (Barak, Leighton & Flavin, pp. 63-69, 2007). These women face a psychological breakdown after reaching their melting point. Third, like the first point, these women try to be cool and attractive to other men by going against the social boundaries. Fourth, more than 90 percent of the women in US and European prisons have been reported to have substance abuse problems. Their craving for drugs either leads them to crime or their initial crimes lead them to substance abuse (Simon & Ahn-Redding, pp. 78-80, 2005). Fifth, girls may end up committing crimes because within gangs, they develop a tendency to follow the leader and follow her as the role model. Sixth, many women do directly commit crimes but they get romantically involved with men who are working for various gangs (Evans & Jamieson, pp. 36-38, 2008). In order to maintain the relation with those men, females may end up assisting them with minor males and easily end up prison. Seventh, some women become obsess with crossing the legal boundaries. These are extroverts and love experimentation and they may end up challenging the legal authorities. Eight, the last category of women that end up in prison are the ones which try to justify their act with pointing their fingers at other females, which have done the same in the past (Chesney-Lind & Pasko, pp. 285-289, 2004; Walklate, pp. 189-192, 2004). Females have similar tendencies to break laws and commit crimes, however, the prime reason behind the data suggesting otherwise, is rooted in the fact that females do not get similar opportunities for committing crime. Females in most societies remain restricted to their homes, buildings and neighborhoods, therefore, their crimes remain restricted to similar areas. Furthermore, rather than committing crimes of violence, females are more likely to engage in nonviolent crimes such as stealing, fabricating crucial information, shoplifting and others (Simon & Ahn-Redding, pp. 78-80, 2005; Belknap, pp. 85, 2007). Women in most societies would end up spending most of their time with their children, which in itself is a full time job. On the other hand, men get the chance to go out and interact with the world thus providing them with more opportunities to engage in criminal behavior (Evans & Jamieson, pp. 36-38, 2008). Furthermore, there is evidence, which suggests that societies where women have similar opportunities as men, they are more likely to engage in criminal behavior. Furthermore, in European and American countries where women enjoy a more liberal and equal lifestyle with men, crime rate amongst women is quickly on rise. For example, countries where equal employment opportunities exist for women, they are also found committing serious employment crimes as well (Heimer, & Kruttschnitt, pp. 317-320, 2006). One important reason why women are less likely to commit crime is the way girls are brought up in the society. Right from day one, girls find themselves in a society where they have to conform to various expectations and stereotypes. Women are forced to believe that they are more vulnerable and it is more important more them to stay in their boundaries. Boys all around the world get to explore the world but girls are more likely to spend more time indoors playing with toys or gossiping (Heimer, & Kruttschnitt, pp. 317-320, 2006). When they see men fighting over petty issues, society tells them that aggressiveness is only for men and women should resolve all their issues with communication. With taking care of their friends, partners, husbands, children and family, women end up developing a tendency to care about others, within themselves (Chesney-Lind & Pasko, pp. 285-289, 2004; Belknap, pp. 85, 2007). Important here to note is the fact that the effect of self-fulfilling prophecy of law enforcement agencies is also visible with this conclusion of women committing less crime. The law enforcement agencies spend most of their policing efforts around areas where men are present. Furthermore, they are asked to pay special attention to boys, adult men, and mature men. Therefore, they end up recording more instances of male crimes rather than female crimes (Barak, Leighton & Flavin, pp. 63-69, 2007; Evans & Jamieson, pp. 36-38, 2008). Courts and Judges have also shown their biased attitude towards females committing crimes. First, they do not expect women to be criminals if there is evidence of the same, and then they are considered as “mad not bad”. Second, men view themselves as fathers, brothers, husbands and associates of the women and in all case, they believe that it is their duty to protect women from every possible threat. More importantly, men see women in the role of mother, which forces them to respect her more than ever (Simon & Ahn-Redding, pp. 78-80, 2005). Therefore, judges avoid giving any hard punishments since they want to maintain the sanctity and dignity of women in the society. Women are more likely to receive medical treatments for their crimes since the courts usually think that any women who commits a crimes has gone against her inbuilt biological characteristics and that must have been the result of traumatic experiences (Heimer, & Kruttschnitt, pp. 317-320, 2006). Therefore, those women deserve less of attention and more of psychological help to go back towards their defined roles. When men commit similar crimes, men are viewed as sick, evil and rational, whereas, women receive the label of being irrational emotional and not being able to weigh their decisions and their outcomes properly. Furthermore, female crimes end up being labeled as a manifestation of their sexual frustration. One statistical backing behind such difference between treating women crime and male crime is because of the fact one out of three women that are sent to US and UK prisons attempts suicides which shows their vulnerability (Chesney-Lind & Pasko, pp. 285-289, 2004). However, this unequal treatment makes little sense on purely rational and logical grounds. Women receive similar opportunities as men and they demand similar treatment in all fields. Furthermore, the law has to be equal for all. If a female offender has committed a crime, she should receive the defined punishment for the same rather than viewing her as the victim. There are only a few criminals (in fact, they are psychopaths) who commit crimes out of their lust and hobby to do the same. Nevertheless, all other criminals have a history behind them, which cause them to deviate from the model of a responsible citizen (Barak, Leighton & Flavin, pp. 63-69, 2007). Most criminals engaged in crimes, whether men or women, come from broken families, divorced parents, parents having a criminal history, grown up in lower middle class families with friends and adults with a violent history and others. Furthermore, most people commit crimes for their need and not lust of money (Evans & Jamieson, pp. 36-38, 2008). They do not plan to buy big boats and palaces with that money but they expect to feed their families and fulfill their basic needs (Simon & Ahn-Redding, pp. 78-80, 2005). Therefore, if psychological problems and economic disturbances are taken into account then the courts will have to be lenient to almost every other offender. Therefore, there is no rational or logical backing behind considering women with an entirely different lens (Simon & Ahn-Redding, pp. 78-80, 2005; Belknap, pp. 85, 2007). Conclusion Evidence also suggests that female crime is also on rise. In the year 2009, Russia authorities reported that there were almost 49000 female convicts in Russia whereas, there is capacity for only 38500 inmates. Mexican authorities also reported that over past three years women imprisoned for federal crimes have increased by 400 percent (Bhosle, pp. 52-58, 2009). Much of the work in the field of criminology comes from male authors and it is heavily based on the male crime dynamics. It is highly unlikely that all those theories and perspectives may be fully applicable to female crimes as well. That explains why, recently, there has been a great increase in the number of female writers that have researched the field to present the female perspective of criminology (Chesney-Lind & Pasko, pp. 285-289, 2004). Furthermore, statistical data may prove that women commit less crime than men commit, but is mainly not due to their inbuilt biological or social characteristics but mainly because of the fact that women do not get similar opportunities in the society and the environment. With more female liberation in the western societies, more female offences will come on the scene. In conclusion, the paper has analyzed and examined some of the significant aspects of criminology, particularly in the context of females. In particular, the paper magnified through the stereotype lens that indicate less appearance of females in the rate of crime in comparison to the men. For this purpose, the paper identified and analyzed different studies related to the topic that allowed a comprehensive and critical understanding of the notion. It is anticipation that the discussion will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the topic. References Barak, Gregg, Leighton, Paul, & Flavin, Jeanne. 2007. Class, race, gender, and crime: the social realities of justice in America. Rowman & Littlefield. Belknap, Joanne. 2007. The invisible woman: gender, crime, and justice. Thomson/Wadsworth. Bhosle, Smriti. 2009. Female crime in India and theoretical perspectives of crime. Gyan Publishing House. Chesney-Lind, Meda, & Pasko, Lisa. 2004. The female offender: girls, women, and crime. Sage Publications. Evans, Karen, & Jamieson, Janet. 2008. Gender and crime: a reader. Open University Press. Heimer, Karen, & Kruttschnitt, Candace. 2006. Gender and crime: patterns of victimization and offending. NYU Press. Simon, Rita James, & Ahn-Redding, Heather. 2005. The crimes women commit: the punishments they receive. Lexington Books. Walklate, Sandra. 2004. Gender, crime, and criminal justice. Willan. Read More