Gender and Crime Chapter 3

Agency

Self-determination and the capacity to act independently.

Victimization

The process of being harmed or made to suffer.

Intersectionality

The interconnectedness nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, creating overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

Gang Membership

Involvement in organized groups often associated with criminal activities.

Sex Worker’s Agency

The capacity of sex workers to make choices, exhibit resilience, and assert control over their lives.

Conflict Theory

A theory grounded in Marxism, focusing on class struggle and social relations under capitalism.

Marxist Theory

A theory based on Karl Marx's perspectives on class struggle and capitalism.

Critical Criminology (CCT)

A perspective that views crime as politicized and defined by the powerful elite, emphasizing the need for economic and social change.

New Criminology

A term used to describe the radical criminology perspective that emerged in the 1970s.

Sexist Oppression

Discrimination and disadvantage based on gender, particularly against women.

Marxist-Feminist Accounts

Perspectives that tie sexism directly to capitalism and its impact on economic, social, and legal aspects of life.

Transformative Critical Feminist Criminology

A proposed approach that integrates critical criminology with feminist perspectives to address gender and social justice issues.

Critical Legal Studies (CritLS)

A movement questioning the objectivity of laws that have oppressed marginalized groups.

Critical Race Theory (CRT)

A progressive legal movement to transform the relationship among race, racism, and power.

White Privilege

Unearned advantages and societal benefits afforded to white people.

Systematic Discrimination

Discrimination entrenched in laws, policies, and practices of institutions.

Social Control

Mechanisms, strategies, and institutions that regulate individual and group behavior, often maintaining social order.

Whiteness

Social norms and privileges associated with being white, often considered the standard in societal institutions.

Monolithic Experience

A single, uniform experience assumed to be shared by all individuals within a group.

Feminist Jurisprudence

Legal scholarship focusing on how laws affect women and advocating for gender equality in law.

Critical Race Feminism (CRF)

A framework addressing the multiple marginalities of women of color, combining insights from feminist jurisprudence and CRT.

Hypercriminalization

The excessive criminalization and policing of certain groups, particularly marginalized communities.

Labeling Theory

A theory concerned with how deviant labels are applied and received, and the impact of these labels on future behavior.

Deviant

A person who deviates from societal norms.

Delinquent

A person, often a young person, who has committed a minor crime or offense.

Offender Identity

An identity adopted by individuals labeled as delinquents or criminals.

Participant Observation

A research method where the researcher actively engages with the subjects being studied.

Nonconforming Women

Women who do not adhere to societal norms and expectations.

#BlackLivesMatterMovement

A movement advocating against systematic racism and violence towards black individuals.

Stigmatization

The act of labeling someone in a way that causes them to be viewed negatively or as deviant.

Chivalry

The idea that women are protected by societal norms, which may have influenced lower arrest rates for women before the second wave of the women’s movement.

Gendered

Influenced by gender differences or biases.

SES (Socioeconomic Status)

An individual’s or group’s economic and social position in relation to others.

Criminal Identity

The perception of oneself as a criminal, often influenced by societal labels.

Cycle of Violence Theory (CVT)

A theory focusing on victimizations and adverse life events as risk factors for offending, using prospective data.

Pathways Theory (PT)

A theory that examines past experiences as risk factors for offending, using retrospective data.

Life Course Theory (LCT)

A theory collecting data over time on the same individuals to understand the temporal ordering of life events and study resiliency.

Prospective Data Collection

Collecting data over time on the same individuals to improve the accuracy of life events’ temporal ordering.

Retrospective Data Collection

Asking individuals about their past experiences at one point in time, typically used in pathways theory research.

Child Maltreatment

Abuse and neglect experienced by children.

Desistance

The process of ceasing to engage in offending behavior.

Longitudinal Study

A research study that follows the same individuals over time to observe long-term effects and trends.

Chronic Offenders

Individuals who engage in persistent and repeated criminal behavior over an extended period.

Social Control Theory (SCT)

A theory that emphasizes the role of socialization and social bonds in preventing delinquency and criminal behavior.

General Theory of Crime (GTC)

A theory that focuses on self-control as a key factor in preventing criminal behavior.

Self-Control Theory

A theory that highlights the importance of self-control in regulating behavior and preventing crime.

Antisocial Behavior

Actions that harm or lack consideration for the well-being of others.

Trajectories

Life pathways or developmental lines over the life span, including work life, marriage, parenthood, self-esteem, and criminal behavior.

Transitions

Specific life events embedded in trajectories that evolve over shorter time spans, such as a first job or first marriage.

Gender Differences

Differences in behavior attitudes, and experiences based on gender.

Comparative Studies

Research comparing different populations or groups to identify similarities and differences.

Abstainers

Individuals who refrain from delinquent involvement.

Marriage Effect

The impact of marital status on reducing offending behavior.

Social Ties

Relationships and connections with others, including family, friends, and partners.

Families of Choice

Kinships made with nonrelatives, often providing support similar to that of biological families.

Heterosexist

Discriminating against non-heterosexual orientations.

Crime Networks

Groups or systems involved in criminal activities.

Latent Class Analysis

A statistical method used to identify subgroups within a population based on individuals’ responses to multiple observed variables.

De-Escalators

Individuals whose offending behavior decreases over time.

Persistent De-Escalators

Individuals whose offending behavior decreases steadily but remains present.

Persisters

Individuals who continue offending behavior consistently over time.

Chronic Fluctuators

Individuals whose offending behavior varies widely over time.

Peer Attachment

The emotional and social connection between individuals and their peers.

Delinquent Peers

Peers involved in criminal or deviant behavior.

Child Abuse Victimization

Experiences of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse during childhood.

Criminalize

To make an activity illegal or to treat an individual as a criminal.

Gender Entrapment

The connections between intimate partner violence, gender identity development, and participation in illegal activities, as developed by Richie.

Revictimization

Experiencing further victimization after initial abuse or trauma.

Ethnic Identity

A person’s sense of belonging to a particular ethnic group.

Critical Race Masculinism

Applying Critical Race Feminist Theory (CRFT) to the construction of male norms in society.

Masculinity

Socially constructed behaviors, characteristics, and roles associated with being male.

Code of the Street

A set of informal rules governing interpersonal behavior, particularly in urban environments, emphasizing respect and retaliation.

Symbolic Interactionalism

A theoretical perspective that examines how individuals interact and create meaning through symbols, language, and social interactions.

General Strain Theory (GST)

A theory that explains how stressors or strains increase the likelihood of delinquency.

Social Learning Theory (SLT)

A theory that hypothesizes that people learn behaviors, including criminal behavior, through their interactions with others.

Masculinity Theory (MT)

A theory that examines how masculinity and gender norms influence criminal behavior and the intersections of gender with race, class, and sexuality.