Y&D Chapter 7 Gender and Delinquency

Reasons for focus on gender and delinquency

• observation that women face new struggles

• women commit the same crimes as males

• women involved in gangs

Socialization: parents

parents treat boys and girls differently, envouraging appropriate behaviors

Socialization: guns

fathers teach sons about using weapons, boys 3x more likely to go hunting/shooting

Socialization: independence vs. self worth

girls depend on relationships to reject delinquency, otherwise alienation

Socialization: delinquency vs. depression

girls more likely to internalize —> depression

boys more likely to externalize

Aggression

differences noticeable 3-6

boys exaggerate, girls minimize

girls negotiate

girls sheilded by moral sensitivity and display more self control

Physical Agression

punching, kicking, shoving, etc

Relational Aggression

harming others through manipulation of social standing and relationships

Cognitive: Girls’ Abilities

visual-motor speed and language ability

Cognitive: Boys’ Abilities

mechanical and visual-spatial task ability

Cognitive Differences

small, narrowing, usually attributed to cultural expectations

penalty still placed on young girls

Personality: talking

girls not as talkative as stereotypes suggest, more empathic

males more likely to introduce new topics and interrupt

Personality: Agreeableness vs. open to experience

Girls high on agreeableness

Boys high on open to experience

Personality: body image

girls generally have low self esteem and self concept, faced with unrealistic body image expectations

Personality: self destructive behavior

males who have trouble dealing with disturbing interactions turn to violence and aggression

girls turn to status offending

Emotional

Females share feelings and express concerns

more positive emotions displayed but negative emotions internalized

Gap increases w age

Brain Organization

F: LB M: RB

Hormonal impact

differential treatment can also impact

Gender Schema Theory

Cultural polarization of genders

males seek peer approval and girls seek parental/SO approval

forced to obey mutually exclusive gender roles/scripts

Gender Similarities Hypothesis

gender difference in personality, cognition, intelligence, etc. musch smaller

gender differences have little to no effect on psych variables except for physical aggression and sex w/o committment

Two Cultures

kids segregate themselves; boyculture and girlculture, girls learn to be passive when boys are present

How are differences magnified

when children internalize certain behavior

e.g. males fear appearing weak, cowardly, effeminate

Delinquent Acts

most common are the same for boys and girls: petty larceny, using false ID, smoking marijuana

factors that explain male delinquency are similar to cause of female delinquency

differences still significant for murder

Weapons

males and females have differences in victims and weapons chosen

Victims are most commonly males

Boys; friends or acquaintence with gun

Girls; family member or acquaintence with knife

Police and gender gap

changes in police procedure —> less favoritism to girls, girls more susceptible to domestic violence laws

Peer violence

same-sex; gain status, defend reputation, self defense from sexual harassment

Family violence

fight more with parents, striking back against controlling structure, self defense or expression of anger from being physically or sexually abused

Violence at school

result from teacher labeling, self defense, general sense of hopelessness

Violence within disadvantaged neighborhoods

increased risk of victimization, parental inability to protect from community predators, lack of opportunities for success

Girls in gangs

in male gangs —> girls more violent

girls in gangs are more violent than other girls but less violent than boys

Lombroso

women lower on evolutionary scale, more childlike, less intelligent; distinguishable from “normal” women

Menstruation

Burt; link to a cause for delinquency

Masculinity Hypothesis

Healy and Bromer; women who commit crimes have biological and psychological traits simialr to men

Chivalry Hypothesis

women’s criminal behavior is often overlooked, use of sexual charms to beguile males and reduce punishment/blame

Penis envy

girls compensate for “defect”; may accept maternal roles or develop masculine traits/homosexuality

Passivity

girls socialized to be passive, susceptible to manipulations; leads to participation in sex related crimes and neurotic theft

Other early psych explanations

male delinquency represents aggressive traits

female delinquency is a function of repressed sexuality, gender conflict, and abnormal socialization

Trait views: early puberty/precocious sexuality

early onset of physical maturity, female delinquency is the result of maladjustment

negative peer experience

forced into early sexuality

Trait views: family factors

early maturation because of parental absence, genetic impact

Trait views: hormonal effects

cortisol —> aggressive behavior; androgens —> stereotypical male behaviors “constitutionally masculinized”

Trait views: premenstrual syndrome

irritibility/poor judgement before menstruation; conflicting evidence

Contemporary psychological views

• mental anguish/abnormality

• psychological problems

• dysfunctional/violent relationships —> unstable homes, poor school attendence

• callous and unemotional traits —> females more likely to have

Socialization Views

• familial socialization

• broken homes —> fallen women “unattractive youths who reside in homes marked by family tensions”

• abuse, socialization into gang life

• relationship between delinquency and growing up in a disrupted household, esp those that are marked by physical or sexual abuse

Gender Differences

girls less likely to have close knit peer groups, need parental relationships to remain emotionally stable; girls monitored, those who aren’t turn to delinquency

Delinquency and Abuse

link between abuse and FD strong, victims engage in violent and nonviolent behavior; deviance more likely for girls thrust into adult roles and responsibilities

Protection from FD

caring adults, school refuge, religiosity (in certain contexts)

Life Course

persisters, desisters, intermittent offenders, late bloomers

Liberal Feminist

females are less delinquent than males because social roles provide fewer opportunities to commit crimes; now women’s roles are changing

Critical Feminist Views

patriarchy and delinquency; men’s work valued, women’s work devalued —> supported by capitalism

Gender Conflict

“ideal masculine behavior” femininity as a negative

Power Control Theory

Gender differences in delinquency are a function of class differences and economic structures that impact everyday life