NCJ Number
130357
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Education Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1991) Pages: 81-93
Date Published
1991
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Feminist criminology is a vital and growing area of scholarship, but it is not making its way into the classroom.
Abstract
Although published empirical research on women and crime is increasing steadily, the coverage of such material in standard criminology textbooks remains stable at around 2-3 percent. This underrepresentation may be due to the fact that female offenders and victims are disproportionately represented in the total population of offenders and victims and because crimes stereotypically attributed to women are not viewed by textbook authors as posing a serious threat to society's moral fiber. In addition, incarcerated females may be less interesting to authors because they are believed to be less violent and disruptive than males. A partial solution to providing women with a sense of place in criminology is to introduce students to material that demonstrates the ways in which women have worked for women and as women in criminal justice. This approach may provide a model of informed social and political action for students. 38 references (Author abstract modified)