NCJ Number
83669
Editor(s)
S K Mukherjee,
J A Scutt
Date Published
1981
Length
220 pages
Annotation
Nine papers discuss the nature and extent of female crime, female crime victims, and the criminal justice system's processing and treatment of female offenders and delinquents, with attention to these issues in Australia.
Abstract
Sexism in Australian criminal law is examined in the first paper, with sections on the law of coverture (status of a married woman), prostitution, infanticide, self-defense and provocation in incidents of domestic violence, and rape. The shame, guilt, and anxiety imposed on rape victims by Australian court procedures are examined in another presentation, followed by a review of the historical theories of the causes of female criminality and their implications for social policy. The perpetuation and consequences of the myth that female delinquency is predominantly sexual delinquency are considered in another essay. The fifth paper reviews role theories of female crime, and the theory of symbolic interactionism is supported as the preferred theory, followed by a discussion of implications for the treatment of female offenders. A consideration of the legislation and practices affecting the processing of juveniles in Victoria (Australia) reveals the differential treatment of male and female juveniles. An examination of the nature and extent of crimes by women in Australia covers each year from 1900 to 1975. Another study fails to support the hypothesis that the emancipation of women has resulted in rising female imprisonment rates and declining female mental hospitalization rates. It is concluded that the interpretation of Western Australian crime and mental illness statistics requires the examination of variables such as changing designations of deviance, changing policies, available facilities, and prevailing societal attitudes, as well as changing deviant behavior. The concluding paper discusses the facilities and programs of the Mulawa Training and Detention Center for women in New South Wales. Footnotes, references, and relevant tabular data accompany each paper. For individual entries, see NCJ 83670-74.