NCJ Number
177710
Date Published
1999
Length
311 pages
Annotation
Intended for use in upper-level to graduate-level criminology classes, this book examines crime patterns of women compared to those of men and considers the relevance of traditional and new crime-causes theories in explaining differences in criminal behavior between the genders.
Abstract
Following the introductory chapter, which frames the questions to be addressed in the book, a chapter provides an overview of women's involvement in violent and property crime, noting that violent crime rates continue to show large differences in the relative rates of participation between men and women, while property crime rates are converging. Another chapter addresses women's involvement in drug offenses and delinquency. Four chapters then consider various crime-cause theories that may help to explain crime patterns of women compared to those of men. The concluding chapter presents an integrated understanding of crime and crime prevention that explains why women are less inclined than men to engage in violent crime. The author concludes that biological gender differences predispose men to be more likely to have low arousal levels and poor responses to behavioral conditioning. Men are more likely to have poor impulse control and exhibit greater aggressive tendencies. Women, on the other hand, are generally more proficient in verbal skills, communication, and responding to emotional cues. Reproductive instincts and tasks require women to be other-directed. Thus, women and men are "naturally" different in their predispositions and personality constructs; women are generally more affiliative and less autonomous than men. Placed in similar criminogenic social settings, men are more likely than women to develop criminal behaviors. Suggestions are offered for crime prevention approaches that take into account gender differences in predisposition toward delinquent behavior. Chapter notes, a 640-item bibliography, and subject and name indexes