Outline and assess the reasons why women might not commit as much crime as men.

Outline and assess the reasons why women might not commit as much crime as men. (50 marks)
The term ‘crime’ means behaviour that breaks the law. For example, someone who commits a crime such as drug offences or theft is considered a criminal. Feminists accept that women commit less crime than men because they are more likely to conform to rules and social controls than men. Based on the evidence in the ‘Official Crime Statistics’ (OCS) of 2009 and 2010 in England and Wales, men are five times more likely to commit crime than women. Surprisingly, ‘violence’ is the second highest of offences done by both genders and the majority of the crime is ‘theft and handling’ for both genders. However, the stats might be socially constructed because the police officers sometimes don’t choose to report crime committed by women.
The statistics are true to some extent; women commit less crime than men. Women conform to the social controls. According Heidensohn, women are generally more conformist because patriarchal society imposes greater control over their behaviour. Also, Smart notes that girls are more strictly supervised by their parents, especially outside the home. For example, girls might get a curfew like not staying out after dark because it can be dangerous for them to stay out that late. Feminists such as Lees state that girls are more likely to be controlled, in that they may fear acquiring a ‘bad’ reputation. She notes that boys in schools often use verbalised sexual labels. For example, they use the label ‘slag’ to control girls. This can lead to girls avoiding any behaviour that is deemed ‘deviant’ in order to avoid these labels which is why women commit less crime than men. However, this view has been criticised because society has changed and social control is balanced.
Male crime might be shaped by masculinity. Men, according to Smart and Oakley, are socialised into ‘aggressive’, self-seeking and individualistic behaviour that may make them more disposed to taking risks and committing criminal acts. For example, some men might assault other men in order to keep their tough exterior and gain respect from other men which is why violence is unavoidable sometimes in most cases. On the other hand, women are socialised into potentially less criminal set of values and norms that stress cooperation, tenderness and caring for others. However, this view has been criticised because society is changing and becoming less patriarchal. Men are becoming less hegemonic because they are in the house taking care of their families which means fewer men become breadwinners.
There are other reasons for why both genders commit crime. According to Croall, teenage girls are usually motivated to commit crime by 3 factors: a drug habit, which often leads to prostitution and shoplifting, excitement or thrill that comes with committing a crime and the conspicuous consumption of goods, for example, designer label clothing, which are often the target of shoplifting. Katz statement is quite similar to Croall’s; young males commit crime for the pleasure or thrill that is derived from the risk of being caught or having power over others. Katz refers to these thrills as ‘transgressions’. Katz argues that men use violence to exercise power over others so that they achieve goals of hegemonic masculinity.
Even though women commit crime, it is because of the lack of education or to care for their family. According Walklate, women do shoplifting and prostitution because they are often motivated by economic necessity. For example, to provide children with food, toys and clothes. Carlen argues that women may commit crimes because they have often failed to gain qualifications and find legitimate work, which is why they usually live in poverty and are dependent on benefits. Another reason might be that their attachment to family life may be weak because they have been abused which is why they run away from home and/or spent time in care. A criticism of this is that Carlen does not explain why majority of women in poverty choose not to commit crime. Also, Carlen conducted unstructured interviews, which has some problems such as, it lack reliability since it can’t be repeated but, it can be quite valid as it shows real-life extension of interview.
However, crime happens due to society becoming less patriarchal. Adler agrees that as society is becoming less patriarchal, women’s crime rates will rise. In other words, women’s liberation from patriarchy will lead to a new type of female criminal because they will have greater opportunity and confidence to commit crime. Michele Burman et al. did a questionnaire survey and found that 98.5% of girls have witnessed, first-hand, some form of interpersonal physical violence. Nearly two-thirds knew someone who had been physically hurt or injured by violence. 41% had experienced someone deliberately hitting, punching or kicking them. 10% of the girls described themselves as ‘violent’ and 10% reported having committed seven or more types of physically violent acts such as punching, kicking and hitting with an object. Some of the disadvantages of using a questionnaire is that sociologists can’t get enough information since the respondents don’t explain and the questionnaire sometimes don’t give the truth. There is also a contradiction to Adler’s statement because less patriarchy only benefits middle-class women.
The statistics on crime is flawed because they are socially constructed. The justice system favours women. Interactionalists such as Pollack agree with the feminist criminologist’s statement that the system is biased against women because male officers tend to adopt ‘paternalistic’ attitudes towards female offender, who are less likely to be stopped, arrested and charged. For example, when committing criminal offences, they are more likely to be cautioned than arrested and charged. Pollack calls this the ‘chivalry factor’. However, this view has been criticized because the police ignore crimes that are committed by women against men i.e. domestic violence.
However, the justice does not always favour women. According to Walklate, women have been raped and put on trial because their original claim was not dealt with effectively. For example, at a court hearing, women might be asked what they were wearing at the time of the incident. However, this view has been criticised because the law serves women better than men, for example, divorce.
The trend of women committing crimes has increased. According to Fagle, the rise in female offenders can be explained by two factors: increase in the number of girls compared to boys and the greater willingness of the public to report crime by girls, the greater willingness to persecute. Thus the crime statistics do not represent the reality of crime for men and women.
In conclusion, Marxists criticise feminists because they state that crime and deviance is all down to social class. They say that deprivation, poverty and inequality are the causes of crime.