NCJ Number
101219
Date Published
1985
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This chapter explores facts and myths which exist in relation to female crime and examines current trends in female offense patterns.
Abstract
Theories of female criminality can be divided into six stages with differing emphases. Early, moral-ethical theories of female crime were eventually replaced with theories that emphasized physiological, constitutional, and environmental factors. These were followed by perspectives that emphasized sociodemographic factors in offense patterns and those that focused on male-female differences in criminal justice system case processing and on profiling the female offender. The current focus (early 1970's and on) reflects the influence of the feminist movement and strain, control, and subculture theories of deviance. An examination of crime trends in Canada between 1950 and 1980 reveals that women's crime rates have increased particularly in the area of traditionally 'male'. crimes. Remaining differences in male-female crime patterns appear to be related to sex-role socialization. There does appear to be a change in traditionally sexist criminal justice system attitudes and procedures, but training and treatment programs for female offenders remain inadequate. 42 references.