Characteristics of female offending and victimisation

Characteristics of pistillate aggravateing and dupeisationPrevious to the feminist movement of the nineteen sixties and seventies criminology was predominantly the domain of men as was the Criminal Justice System (CJS), (Newburn 2007). Therefore it is no surprise that women were mostly over looked in spite of appearance these fields. Moreover the few earlier explanations of female criminality reserve now largely been discredited due to their oversimplified, biological and sexually natured explanations (Lombrosso 1895, Thomas 1923 and Pollak 1950). Neverthe slight it is due to these arguably discriminatory, and male dominated perspectives, and to a fault an otherwise deprivation of interest in female criminality that inspired many modern and feminist writings these writings bought about a shift in attitudes towards women and their repose within these traditionally male professions. Consequently the reliability of police statistics has been challenged and new ways of concourse data has been developed, such as self report studies and victim surveys all of which fetch brought about new debates and theories and has contri notwithstandinged to our understanding of women and wickedness. This essay will give a brief overview of the characteristics of both female go bading and using and hence discuss the contribution that criminology has made to our understanding of them.As a outcome of the aforementioned collective research there is a general agreement within criminology that women consign considerably less crime than men (although according to police statistics female crime rates atomic number 18 rising) (Newborn 2007). Women are less likely to commit certain crimes, such as sexual offences, and they are less likely to re-offend (Newborn 2007 and National Statistics Online 2006). The majority of offences that women commit involve theft and handling stolen goods, ferocity against the soulfulness and drug offences (National Statistics Online 2006 and C addle and Crisp 1997).Criminology has contributed to our understanding of the characteristics of female offending in many ways. Firstly, since the feminist movement, Criminology has focused attention onto female offending and has helped to deconstruct the traditional sexist stereotypes of the female offender previously portrayed by traditional criminologists (Lombrosso, 1895, cited in Newburn, 2007). Modern Criminology has further developed existing theories in order to make them applicable to women such as control theory and has highlighted how womens experience of society is different to that of men suggesting that womens place in society, i.e. their job, social background and being a return can all effect their inhibitions towards crime and their opportunities to offend (Heidensohn 1996 and Carlen 1988). Thus, Criminology has helped us to understand how a womens individual circumstances can impact on whether she will offend and what types of offences she is likely to commit.Cr iminology has also highlighted the impact that prior victimization and the breakdown of social bonds has on female offending in her research into how women become conglomerate in illicit drugs, Cheseney-lind (1997) found that all of the women in her carry came from unstable social environments, i.e. deprivation, parental alcohol abuse, sexual abuse and hysteria. Other studies have highlighted institutional sexism Carlens 1998 study in which she interviewed fifteen Scottish sheriffs about their feelings towards prosecuting women offenders, found that they all disliked having to send women to prison. Carlen suggests that they resolve this uneasiness by discriminating between who they perceived to be good and bad mothers and disregard the impact of socio-economic factors on their behavior (cited in Heidensohn 1996). The sheriffs attitudes in Carlens study highlights a long running debate within Criminology, which is, are women treated much chivalrously or more harshly than men by t he CJS? (Newburn 2007) It could be argued that the uneasiness of the sheriffs to prosecute women points to a chivalrous attitude but the fact that they separate the women into good and bad mothers suggests that the women are being doubly judged, as both women and mothers. Therefore Criminology has given us greater understanding of how female offending is affected by a lack of family support and social bonds and arguably how women are affected by the double standards present within the CJS.By challenging police recorded statistics Criminology has highlighted other debates, such as why do female offending rates appear to be rising and to what outcome do women commit less crime than men? (Newburn 2007). In regard to rising female crime rates there are several perspectives approximately argue that it is because womens roles are changing in society which gives them greater opportunity to offend (Adler, cited in Newburn 2007) some claim that it is due to economic marginalisation and wom en offend because of deprivation (Carlen 1998) and others suggest it is due to changes in the labelling of crimes which make for stricter sentencing (Heidensohn 1996). Criminology has incited many debates which have helped to develop a better understanding of the characteristics of female offending.As a result of criminological research, such as the British Crime Survey (BCS), we understand that overall women are at less risk of criminal development than men. The save crimes that women are at a higher risk from is domestic violence and stalking/harassment (although it could be argued that the latter is due to men being less easily intimidated and less likely to report those types of crimes). We also know that the vast amount of the domestic violence suffered by women goes unreported. Finally, although we know that women are at less risk of crime overall, the BCS tells us that they have a greater fear of crime than men, and this impacts negatively on their daily lives (Newburn 2007 ).Criminology has contributed to our understanding of the characteristics of female victimisation in many ways. Firstly, By challenging police statistics it has highlighted the dark figure of crime, showing the vast amount of crimes that go either unknown, unreported, or unrecorded and then highlighting the vast amount of domestic violence, sexual assault and vitiate crimes women suffer, mainly at the hands of their husbands, partners or other family members (Heidensohn 1996). The issue of domestic violence is shockingly illustrated in a study carried out by Painter and Farrington (1998), in which one in seven wives reported being raped by their husbands (cited in Rafter, 2003). Traditionally crimes of domestic violence were trivialized by the police because of a general acceptance of violence against women by their partners (Newburn 2007). Criminology has also highlighted the issue of repeat victimization in regards to women due to the nature of the offence repeat victimization r ates are high in cases of domestic violence but research also shows that women who were abused in childhood are at a higher risk of being victimized in adulthood (Rafter 2003). Therefore, because of Criminology we understand that many more women suffer domestic violence than the police statistics suggest and also women who were abused as children are at a higher risk of getting involved in an abusive relationship in adulthood.Womens fear of victimization is a debated issue within Criminology, some explain that it is because women are the smaller sex and so are more easily intimidated and others suggest it is related to a fear of rape caused by socialization and moral panic, suggesting that it is irrational (Rafter 2003). Criminology has highlighted womens experience of crime and the CJS and societys attitudes towards female victimization (Newburn 2007). Criminology has found that women are often accused of precipitating or facilitating crimes against them, such as rape and assault a ccording to lifestyle theories, how women dress, whether they go out alone and where they go, all participates to their victimization (Rafter 2003). This theory is contradicted by victim survey data which suggests that women are at more risk of domestic violence than stranger violence (Newburn 2007).In regards to womens manipulation within the CJS, criminology has highlighted the unfair and un-sympathetic treatment women arguably receive in regards to being victim of such crimes as rape and domestic violence, suggesting that women were often subject to secondary victimisation because of unsympathetic treatment given by the CJS (Rafter 2003). Consequently Criminology has helped to improve attitudes and treatment within the CJS by luck to establish the use of rape suites and aftercare services (Newburn 2007). In conclusion we have a greater understanding of why women fear crime and how society and the CJS have blamed them in some part for their own victimization.In conclusion, Crimi nology has been crucial in contributing to our understanding of the characteristics of female offending and victimization. By carrying out studies and surveys, gathering statistics and developing and debating theories Criminology has developed a greater understanding of why and what causes women to commit crime why they commit less crime in comparison to men, and why they are more likely to commit certain types of crimes over others. Criminology has highlighted the vast amount of female victimization that goes unreported and has helped to counteract this by improving womens treatment within the CJS and by helping to change attitudes and policies. Overall, Criminology has given us a greater understanding of female offending and victimization and has been fundamental to our understanding of women and crime.Chesney-Lind, M. (1997) The pistillate Offender, Girls, Women and Crime, London Sage publications Inc.Carlen, P.(1988) Women, Crime and Poverty Milton Keynes Open University Press Educational Enterprises Ltd.Heidensohn, F. (1996) Women and Crime. (2nd Ed.) Hampshire Macmillan Press Ltd.Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology. U.S.A. and Canada Willan Publishing.Rafter, N. H. (2003) Encyclopedia of Women and Crime. Newyork Checkmark Books.