Criminal Behavior of Male and Female - Essay Example

Criminal Behavior: Male versus Female Until only recently the female role in criminal activity was treated with indifference and merely an anecdotalstory of women that were not as much criminal as simply disobedient or mentally ill. However, the sharp contrasts that once differentiated male and female offenders have begun to blur and in many areas have taken on some striking similarities between the sexes. Violent crimes, once a traditional male dominated behavior, have recently experienced more participation on the part of female offenders. Social factors of equal rights, women in the workplace, and the popular media have all contributed to the rise in female criminal activity. An investigation of male and female criminal activity will see a shift in female behavior that has been influenced by social and cultural pressures, and a narrowing of the gap between male and female perpetrators. Recent decades have seen an increasing prevalence of female criminals and the crimes that they commit have become more violent. During the 10-year period from 1986 to 1997 the adult male correctional population increased by 67 percent, while the women's population increased by 100 percent (Demographic trends, 2008). Still, crime is an activity that is dominated by males as 5 percent of them are under some form of correctional supervision in the US compared with only 1 percent of the female population. However, female crimes have become more violent in nature. In 1989, 13 percent of the crimes committed by females were violent in nature, but that number had increased to 17 percent by 2002 (US Department of Justice, 2004). In addition, in the year 2000 women constituted 6.7 percent of the total state and federal prison population, and that number had increased to 7.2 percent in 2007 (US Department of Justice, 2008). Data from a variety of sources verifies that women have become more active in crime in a more violent fashion. The contrast between male and female crime and the shift in demographics in recent years can help give an indication of the motivations that underlie criminal activity. Emotion has a far lesser impact on a man's decision to commit a crime than it does for a female. When men commit a crime it is often the result of learned behavior that has been the result of social interaction. Ramoutar & Farrington (2006) report that, "According to social learning theory, if individuals have ample opportunity to observe aggressive or violent behaviour, this will increase the chance that they will learn to value violence and incorporate it into their behavioural repertoire" (p.562). These behaviour patterns are learned from parents, family members, social networks, and promoted through the culture of the popular media. The male dominated society has traditionally tolerated male violence and males are responding to the motivation of perpetuating the existing social norms (Women's Aid, 2005, p.7). Social and cultural norms are at the foundation of the difference in male and female demographics in regards to the types of crimes committed. Women commit violent acts as a means of reacting to their socially repressed status, while males commit violent acts as a learned behavior and minimizes the act based on society's acceptance of male domination. While social learning is a factor that impacts a male's decision to commit a crime, it is also a factor that discourages women from criminal activity. Social control theory further states that "human beings have a natural tendency to engage in antisocial behavior, irrespective of gender" and that strong community, family, workplace, and social ties all contribute to a person's reluctance to engage in criminal activity (Li & MacKenzie, 2003, p.279). According to Corbett (2007) there are significant "informal pressures and sanctions placed on women by family to conform to appropriate gender prescribed behaviours that discourage deviance" (p.258). Women have traditionally been perceived as the 'weaker sex' and sheltered from the male dominated activities associated with business, earning, and the workplace. In addition, women have been held to a higher social standard for behavior. These factors have helped to keep women out of the realm of criminal activity. However, recent decades have seen women introduced into the workplace, perceived as more independent, and more exposed to the popular media that portrays crime and violence in a romantic light. Women have entered the workplace in greater numbers and have been given positions of trust, which has made the financial and property crimes of forgery, theft, and embezzlement more available to women (Simon & Ahn-Redding, 2005, p.81). These crimes have contributed to the growing female population in state and federal prisons. Many of the property crimes, such as burglary and theft, have drug use at the foundation as addicts seek to support their drug habit. There is little difference between the male and the female motivation to commit a crime to obtain the money for drugs, but there is a difference in the types of crimes they utilize. An overwhelming number of women involved with drugs used prostitution as the crime of choice to support their drug habit (Bloor et al., 2006, p.4). Women were more likely to rely on non-confrontational crimes such as shoplifting and forgery, while men tended to rely on "vehicle theft, burglary of a non-dwelling, and drug-supply offenses" (Holloway & Bennett, 2007, p.917-918). There were also some marked differences in the self-perception on the part of males and females as to why they committed a crime. Female perpetrators were often more realistic and described their behavior as an economic crime necessitated by their drug habit, while males tended to blame it on poor judgment (Holloway and Bennett, 2007, p.916). Social control theory influenced the males as they viewed their crimes as social deviance. Women, on the other hand, viewed their crime as an economic action, a perception brought on by the recent economic independence of women as a whole. A major contributor to the overall crime rate is domestic violence. Here again, social conditioning often motivates the male to commit violent acts against a female partner. The female, however, acts out of a need to be the center of attention or a need to place her emotional needs above her male partners (Ramoutar & Farrington, 2006, p.565). Often, the violence is mutual in a domestic setting, though past statistics may not accurately reflect reality, as the partners would often decline to prosecute. Recent mandatory arrests in domestic violence cases have resulted in greater numbers of women being counted as a violent criminal. According to Hirschel, Buzawa, Pattavina, and Faggiani (2007), "the increased arrest rate is in part attributable to a disproportionate increase in arrests for females either as a single offender or as part of what is known as a 'dual arrest', the situation that occurs when the police arrest both parties involved in an incident for offenses committed against each other" (p.256). This increase in female arrests further narrows the gap between male and female offenders. In conclusion, there is a considerable gap between males and females in the types of crimes they commit and the number they commit. However, the gap has been narrowing in recent years. Social learning theory has motivated males to rely on violence as a solution, while social control theory has traditionally discouraged females from committing acts of violence. However, changing social attitudes and the popular media have made violence more acceptable to women. Women's rights and greater social independence have given them greater access to institutions and situations where they can commit economic and property crimes. In addition, policies on domestic violence have resulted in greater numbers of women being arrested for a violent crime. All these factors have contributed to the narrowing gap between the male and the female offender. References Bloor, R.et al. (2006). The impact of treatment on female drug-using sex workers. London: National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. Corbett, C. (2007). Vehicle-related crime and the gender gap. Psychology, Crime & Law, 13(3), 245-263. Demographic trends in correctional populations (2008). Retrieved January 13, 2009, from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/gcorpop.htm Hirschel, D., Buzawa, E., Pattavina, A., & Faggiani, D. (2007). Domestic violence and mandatory arrest laws: To what extent do they influence police arrest decisions The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 98(1), 255-298. Holloway, K., & Bennett, T. (2007). Gender Differences in Drug Misuse and Related Problem Behaviors among Arrestees in the UK. Substance Use & Misuse, 42(6), 899-921. Li, S. D., & MacKenzie, D. L. (2003). The gendered effects of adult social bonds on the criminal activities of probationers. Criminal Justice Review, 28(2), 278-298. Ramoutar, K. M., & Farrington, D. P. (2006). Are the same factors related to participation and frequency of offending by male and female prisoners Psychology, Crime & Law, 12(5), 557-572. Simon, R. J., & Ahn-Redding, H. (2005). The crimes women commit, the punishments they receive. Oxford, UK: Lexington Books. US Department of Justice. (2004). Profile of jail inmates, 2002. Washington, DC: Author. US Department of Justice. (2008). Prison inmates at midyear, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. Women's Aid. (2005). Domestic violence: Frequently asked questions factsheet 2004/05. Bristol, UK: Author Read More