U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Gender Expectations and Their Impact on Black Female Offenders and Victims

NCJ Number
102673
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1986) Pages: 305-327
Author(s)
V D Young
Date Published
1986
Length
23 pages
Annotation
The characteristics of females presented by early theorists were based on an image of the ideal woman that was specific to upper class white women.
Abstract
Literature in the area of female crime and the victimization of females has supported the view that females who did not live up to these expectations were denied preferential treatment. This article hypothesizes that the gender role expectations of black females differ significantly from those of white females. These race-specific expectations are identified. Although these myths have not received empirical support, the characterizations remain. It is further argued that these misconceptions concerning the black female have been used as justifications for denying her equal treatment. (Publisher abstract)