Contemporary Criminology Theory and Historical Data: The Sex Ratio of London Crime (From Legacy of Anomie Theory: Advances in Criminological Theory, Volume 6, P 303-327, 1995, Freda Adler and William S Laufer, eds. -- See NCJ-159627)

• NCJ Number: 159638
• Author(s): D F Greenberg
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 25 pages
• Sale Source: Transaction Publishers
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study assessed the effect of social conditions on the relative involvement of men and women in crime by considering trends in felony crime in London between the early 18th Century and the early 20th Century.

Abstract

In 1730, 14 percent of males on trial were charged with robbery, compared to 2.8 percent of females. Similarly, 8.7 percent of males were charged with burglary, compared to 3.2 percent of females. About 10 percent and 5 percent of males and females, respectively, were accused of shoplifting. Females were overrepresented in other types of theft. For example, some women were prostitutes accused of stealing from their male clients. Offenses of pickpocketing, fraud, larceny, counterfeiting, and receiving stolen goods were more common among females than among males. When women stole, they tended to avoid crimes involving confrontation with adult victims and property destruction. Over the time period of the study, male involvement in crime appeared to decline, while female involvement in crime decreased even more. The role of gender in transforming English society is discussed in detail, with consideration paid to women's rights, poverty as a motivation to steal, gender stereotypes, the impact of social and cultural developments on male-female crime rates, and social control theory. 99 references, 12 notes, and 1 table