Sociology 3315
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UMD

FEMALE DELINQUENCY

DEARTH OF INFORMATION

I. FEMALE CRIME GAINED PUBLIC ATTENTION IN 1970S

1. UCR SHOWED DRAMATIC INCREASES

2. SYMBIONESE LIBERATION ARMY

PATTY HEARST; EMILY HARRIS

3. SARA JANE MOORE AND LYNETTE FROMME

4. FREDA ADLER SISTERS IN CRIME

5. WOMEN'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT

1980S RESPONSE TO CIRCUMSTANCES

RESEARCH ATTENTION

II. EXPLANATIONS OF FEMALE DELINQUENCY

1. BIOLOGICAL

LOMBROSO

COWIE- GENETIC FACTORS (1968)

DETERMINES EVEN TYPES OF CRIMES

ABOVE AVERAGE WEIGHT

PHYSICAL OVERDEVELOPMENT - DRAWS ATTENTION TO SEX EARLIER

MENSTRUATION - REMINDER YOU CAN'T BE A MALE - MORE PRONE TO DELINQUENCY

PMS

2. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL

W. I. THOMAS

THE UNADJUSTED GIRL, 1923

SEXES ARE BASICALLY DIFFERENT

NORMAL RESPONSE TO DESIRES

FOUR WISHES,

DESIRES FOR NEW EXPERIENCES,

FOR SECURITY,

FOR RESPONSE,

FOR RECOGNITION

MATERNAL FEELINGS IN GIRLS DEVOID OF SEXUALITY; THIS AMOUNTS TO FIFTH DESIRE

"THE BEGINNING OF DELINQUENCY IN GIRLS IS USUALLY AN IMPULSE TO GET AMUSEMENT, ADVENTURE, PRETTY CLOTHES, FAVORABLE NOTICE, DISTINCTION, FREEDOM IN THE LARGER WORLD....THE GIRLS HAVE USUALLY BECOME "WILD" BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEXUAL DESIRE, AND THEIR CASUAL SEX RELATIONS DO USUALLY AWAKEN SEXUAL FEELINGS. THEIR SEX IS USED AS A CONDITION OF THE REALIZATION OF OTHER WISHES. IT IS THEIR CAPITAL."

OTTO POLLAK'S

THE CRIMINALITY OF WOMEN

COMMIT A LOT OF CRIME

JUST HIDDEN

INHERENTLY DECEITFUL

INSTIGATORS NOT PERPETRATORS

CHIVALRY FACTOR - POLICE AND COURTS FORGIVE GIRLS BUT NOT BOYS

EMPHASIS: 1) EARLY PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT; 2) HOME LIFE

RECENT STUDIES SAY THE SAME,

A. PERSONAL MALADJUSTMENT

B. CAN'T PERFORM PROPER SEX ROLES

C. SUFFERS FROM BAD HOME LIFE

3. SOCIOLOGICAL STUDIES

SOCIALIZATION DIFFERENCES

ADLER'S

ROLE OF WOMEN'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT

PROBLEMS

A. WRONG WOMEN

B. WRONG FIGURES (INCREASE STARTS IN 1960S)

C. SOCIAL INVENTION OF FEMALE DELINQUENCY

BLOCKED OPPORTUNITIES

PERCEIVED LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES

NOT TRUE FOR NON-WHITES

TRUE FOR WHITES

CONTROL THEORY

SEX ROLE SOCIALIZATION CREATES STRONGER BONDS FOR FEMALES

PEER GROUPS

COMMIT MORE DELINQUENCY IN MIXED GROUPS

BLACK FEMALES COMMIT MORE DELINQUENCY WITH OTHER GIRLS

FEMALES AS VICTIMS: EXPLOTATION

MEDA CHESNEY-LIND

1. GIRLS ARE MOST OFTEN VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE (75%)

STATUS SHAPES RESPONSE

2. THE VICTIMIZERS USE AGENCIES TO KEEP VICTIMS IN HOME

3. GIRLS RUN, WHAT CAN THEY DO? SCHOOL IS OUT, LEGIT WORK IS OUT!

4. IT IS NO WONDER THEIR SEXUALITY IS EXPLOITED ON THE STREETS

60% OR PROSTITUTES INTERVIEWED BY MIMI SILBERT AND AYALA M. PINE SEXUALLY ABUSED; R.J. PHELPS et al., FOUND 79% OF GIRLS IN JD SYSTEM IN WISCONSIN VICTIMS OF PHYSICAL OR SEXUALLY ABUSE

III. CRIME RATES

INCREASE DURING 1960S AND EARLY 1970S

DECREASE DURING LATE 1970S AND 1980S

BELIEF THAT CRIME HAS GOTTEN MORE VIOLENT

MOST CRIME IS MORAL ORDER OR PROPERTY; LITTLE INCREASE IN PARTICIPATION IN VIOLENT; BLACK FEMALES SEEM MORE INVOLVED THAN WHITE FEMALES

ARE THERE STILL FEMALE CRIMES

USE TO BE STATUS OFFENSES AND SHOPLIFTING

GIRLS COMMIT LESS CRIME THAN BOYS BUT THE PATTERNS SEEM TO BE THE SAME

WHITE MALES AND WHITE FEMALES COMMIT THE SAME PATTERN OF CRIMES

BLACK FEMALES AND BLACK MALES COMMIT THE SAME PATTERN OF CRIMES

TYPES OF CRIMES

STATUS OFFENSES

25.2% IN 1986 OF ALL GIRLS ARRESTED; STILL HIGER FOR GIRLS THAN FOR BOYS;

PROPERTY

SHOPLIFTING

PEER PRESSURE

DRUG AND ALCOHOL

ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, LESS NARCOTICS, HEROIN & COCAINE AND MORE CHEMICALS

STRONG PEER PRESSURE

PROSTITUTES

MEDIAN AGE 25-40

GROWTH IN BABY PROS 12-16

BLACKS - A HUSTLE ONE DRIFTED INTO, BETTER THAN ALTERNATIVES

WHITES - SURVIVAL STRATEGY

RUNAWAY, VIOLENT FAMILIES,

79% ABUSED, 60% SEXUALLY ABUSED

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Copyright: © 2001, John Hamlin
Last Modified: Wednesday, 08-Jul-1998 06:15:51 CDT
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