NCJ Number
92334
Date Published
1983
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This Dutch study found that the arrest rates for men and women for 1958-1977 for various offenses did not indicate that the emancipatory effects of the women's movement have impacted feminine criminal behavior in comparison with male criminal behavior.
Abstract
Data for the study were obtained for official arrest statistics published monthly by the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics. Data on the following eight crime categories were used: (1) crimes against life, (2) physical abuse, (3) crimes against public order and authority, (4) vandalism, (5) fraud, (6) embezzlement, (7) simple theft, and (8) shoplifting. Offenses requiring stereotyped male behavior involving masculine skills and techniques were designated 'masculine' crimes. They were the crimes against life and public order and authority, physical abuse, and vandalism. The 'aggressive' version of the emancipation hypothesis, which suggests that the women's movement will encourage female behavior to parallel male behavior, concludes that women's participation in 'masculine' crimes should increase at a faster rate than males' participation. The analysis also addresses the 'opportunity' hypothesis regarding the impact of the women's movement, which holds that as women become more involved in male occupations, the opportunity for certain crimes, such as fraud, embezzlement, theft, and shoplifting, will increase. The findings show no support for the 'aggressive' hypothesis and limited support for the 'opportunity' hypothesis. Personal interviews with many Dutch experts on the family and the role of women as well as the author's personal observations as a sociologist indicate that Dutch women's ideas regarding the central importance of the family have remained relatively unchanged by the women's movement. This may help to explain the weak support for the movement's impact on female crime. Tabular data and 16 references are provided.