Theoretical Evolution Of Female Crime

Theoretical Evolution of Female Crime
Sex is a crucial variable in predicting criminality. There are many characteristics in crime related to women, such as: women commit a smaller share of crimes, the crimes they commit are different(less serious, less professional, less likely to be repeated), and fewer women are in penal establishments. However, female participation within the criminal system is increasing and patterns of male and female crimes appear to be converging. The number of women in prison increased by almost 100 percent during the 1990’s. Yet, the offenses for which women are imprisoned are less serious than those committed by men, including 149 fine defaulters in 2000. There are also more than 32 percent of women in prison that are first offenders compared to 14 percent of men.(rouncefield,1) Therefore, because female crime has began to increase, more critical studies of criminological thought in the female mind have been done. Before the majority of mainstream theories were researched on male criminals and interpreted predominantly by male researchers. However, by analyzing the evolution of the criminological thoughts in relation to women and the new theories that take specific considerations for female cr

However, this theory is one that is highly questioned. Late lacteal phase or premenstrual dysphonic disorder has been used to explain women’s irrationality and aggression despite three decades of unresolved doubt about its medical status.(rouncefield) Many studies fail to find any reliable change in irritability over the monthly cycle. This theory also, therefore, closely examines women’s psychiatric state. An example of this is the statistic that a woman appearing before a British court is twice as likely as a man to dealt with by psychiatric rather than penal means.(rouncefield) In the United States also, when psychiatric symptomatology and degree of violence are controlled, girls are more likely than boys to be assigned to psychiatric units rather than correctional facilities.(rouncefield)

In the past, women offenders were portrayed as hysterical, irrational and incapable of being fully responsible for her actions and crimes due to her biology and sex. The earlier theories on female crime made women the target of outrageous studies concerned only with their sexuality. Unlike male studies in which male criminals are seen as a threatening force with which to be reckoned. The main reason for the disturbing view of women held by many early theorists is because of the popular stereotypes of women in society. Some theories still exist today that study women sexuality as the main characteristic for their crime. In fact, there are two main categories in which today’s criminal theories on women fall into. The first is the Trait Theories, which study the internal dispositions of women such as the biological and psychological explanations for female crime. The second which is the Socialization Theory, which study the learned behaviors with sociological explanations.

le crime, a be