Feminist Criminology

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Feminist criminology is the study of crime in terms of gender for example why men commit more crime than women, why women do more petty crimes, like shop lifting, than violent crime, sexism in the court system, and female victimization. Feminist criminology contains many branches. Liberal, radical, Marxist, and socialist feminism are widely recognized, although other "strands" exist such as postmodernism and ecofeminism. Most feminist criminology involves critiques about how women offenders have been ignored, distorted, or stereotyped within traditional criminology, but there is no shortage of separate theories and modifications of existing theories.
While all feminist theorists share a common focus on gender inequality, there are differing views on the source of the problem and the ultimate solution. Liberal Feminists Freda Adler and Rita argued that sociological factors, not physiology, best explain women’s criminality. There is a strong relationship between women’s emancipation and the increase in female crime rates. As women become more liberated and become more involved in full time jobs, they are more likely to engage in the types of crime that men commit. Thrasher, a leading exponent of the social disorganization perspective, felt that girls and women committed less crime because they were more closely supervised by boys and men. These arguments lacked any factual support.
Most of the crimes committed by women were not related to improved labor market opportunities. Feminist research has shown many female offenders often are single parents and some maybe pregnant resulting in more females receiving lesser sentences rather than imprisonment, as the courts have the added responsibility of children to consider. As far as the c...

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...ney.” According to a study done by Schwartz and Pitts at Ohio University,” 70% of homicides happened between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. A majority of those homicides were done in low income areas. In the same study the average victim profile in household burglary is less than 19 years old, an annual income of less than $15,000, and renters living in a multifamily unit.

Works Cited

Siegel, L. (2006). Criminology. 9th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
McGrath, J. (2009). Theories of Victimization. Yahoo Voices. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/theories-victimization-victim-precipitation-lifestyle-3180181.html
Hermida, J. (2012). Feminist Criminology. Retrieved from http://www.julianhermida.com/contfeminist.htm
French, M. (2010) Feminist Criminology and Integrated Theory. Mega Links in Criminal Justice. Retrieved from http://www.drtomoconnor.com/1060/1060lect07b.htm

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