The document discusses explanations for apparent gender differences in criminal involvement. It examines how biological and social factors may influence higher female involvement in theft and handling crimes compared to other crimes. Socialization plays a key role, as women have traditionally had fewer opportunities to commit crimes due to constrained social roles. However, changing female roles and attitudes have reduced gender differences in criminal behavior. For males, notions of masculinity and pressures to demonstrate power may encourage criminal behavior for some seeking to prove themselves, though most do not resort to crime. Overall, gender differences in crime are narrowing but males generally commit more crimes due to influences of socialization on the genders.

1. “ASSESS EXPLANATIONS FOR
APPARENT GENDER DIFFERENCES
IN INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME”
By Hannah Findlay-Bada

2. INTRODUCTION
Explain that there is a difference between male
and female offending.
 What crimes are common for both genders to
commit.
 Females- commit more theft and handling crimes
than any other.
 Summarise the official statistics.


3. FIRST PARAGRAPH – FEMALE CRIME
Explain how biological explanations can cause
women to commit crime. Naturally
caring/nurturing- neither of them support crime.
 Dalton(1964)- hormonal/menstral factors
influence minority to commit crime.


4. SECOND PARAGRAPH- FEMALE CRIME
Explain the sex-role theory- suggests women less likely
to commit crime as have less opportunity and ability to do
so.
E.g. Socialization- Parsons argues child-rearing done by
mothers so girls have role-model to follow that suggests
caring role. Farrington and Painter longitudinal study.

Marginalization- person needs opportunity to commit crime.
Small range of roles women allowed to have limits
opportunity. More confined by socialization than men.

5. THIRD PARAGRAPH- FEMALE CRIME


Adler (1975)- suggests female crime rates
increasing because of freedom from traditional
forms of social control.
Evidence- Denscombe (2001)- changing female
roles, more likely to commit same crime as men.
Interviewed 15-16 year olds, found females
adopting male attitudes.

6. FOURTH PARAGRAPH- MALE CRIME




Idea of ‘normative masculinity’ by Connell.
Socially approved idea of what real male is.
Men struggle to meet expectations. Masculinity is not
natural, but accomplishment which needs to be
worked at.
How it’s constructed depends on male’s access to
power/resources. More powerful men (business men)
can express power over women in workplace, whilst
those with no power at work express through violence
(crime).
Criticise this view- Jefferson- why minority of young
men from given social/ethnic background choose to
accomplish masculinity through crime and majority
don’t.

7. CONCLUSION
Say that there is an apparent gender difference
within crime.
 The gender differences in crime are becoming
less noticeable because of changing attitudes of
women, making them more like men in their
views.
 Males commit more crime than women, but this
is mainly due to the way women are socialized.
Boys are less likely to have a male role-model to
follow, whilst girls will most of the time have
their mothers.
