Women, crime, and criminology - Assignment Example

Violations of gender roles were treated in the 19th century by various charitable missions and voluntary social work projects that focused on instilling moral conscience and virtues into wayward girls. Social control over girls primarily targeted status violations, since girls are not as frequently involved in violent crime. Status violations include such things as resisting home or school authority, becoming pregnant, running away (Gelsthorpe & Sharpe, 2006). An overwhelming number of girls reformatories and training schools were established in the early 20th century, 23 established between 1910-1920, and only five established in each decade of the half century prior to that (Schlossman & Wallach, 1985, p. 70). They basically tried to isolate the young women from all males.

Into the 20th century, girls were thought to need kind guidance rather than punishment, unlike boys, but they have also been thought to be more difficult to handle. They have been seen as being more emotionally unstable, more vulnerable to bad influence, more psychiatrically challenged, and more stubborn, yet less criminally inclined. Their efforts to engage in freedom beyond the socio-culturally and religiously encouraged gender role expectations were routinely seen from a medical model of pathology and a religious model of temptation into sin.

In the past century, status offences revolved around their sexuality (Gelsthorpe & Sharpe, 2006). Currently, the tendency is to criminalize their resistance, language, and even the way they dress and to spread great concern that young teen girls are increasingly turning to drugs, alcohol and violent crime, instead of only status offenses. Young women have relocated their social activities from home to the more publicly visible streets and clubs, a move that has set off moral alarms in society.

Society has responded, most