WOMEN, RACE, AND CRIME

• NCJ Number: 69137
• Journal: Criminology Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1980) Pages: 26-34
• Author(s): V D YOUNG
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-SS-99-6029
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
• Corporate Author: Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Ctr
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ACADEMY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SCIENCES MEETING, MARCH 9, 1978, NEW ORLEANS, LA

Annotation

THIS ARTICLE ANALYZES INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG WOMEN, RACE, AND CRIME AS PRESENTED IN F. ADLER'S STUDY, 'SISTERS IN CRIME.' USING VICTIM SURVEY DATA, PATTERNS OF CRIME FOR BLACK AND WHITE MALES AND FEMALES ARE EXAMINED.

Abstract

ADLER SPECULATED THAT THE CURRENT PATTERN OF BLACK FEMALE CRIME IS INDICATIVE OF THE FUTURE PATTERN FOR WHITE FEMALE CRIMINALS. SHE PROPOSED THAT SINCE SLAVERY, 'SEX-ROLE CONVERGENCE' HAS OCCURRED AMONG BLACK MALES AND BLACK FEMALES TO A FAR GREATER DEGREE THAN AMONG WHITE MALES AND WHITE FEMALES. THIS HAS LED TO A SIMILARITY NOT ONLY IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OF BLACK MALES AND BLACK FEMALES, BUT ALSO IN THE PATTERNS FOR BLACK FEMALES AND WHITE MALES. FURTHERMORE, WITH THE EMERGENCE OF THE WOMEN'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT, ADLER SUGGESTS THAT THERE WILL BE THE SAME SEX-ROLE CONVERGENCE AMONG WHITE MALES AND WHITE FEMALES RESULTING IN SIMILAR PATTERNS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. IN THIS ARTICLE, OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS AND CRIME PATTERNS WERE EXAMINED USING VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS GENERATED BY THE LEAA-SPONSORED CENSUS BUREAU NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY (1972-1975). BECAUSE THESE SURVEYS ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON OFFICIAL SOURCES AND INCLUDE CRIMES NOT REPORTED TO THE POLICE, THEY ARE BROAD-BASED AND USEFUL IN ASSESSING SOME OF ADLER'S HYPOTHESES. THIS STUDY FOUND NO SUPPORT FOR THE ADLER HYPOTHESIS THAT THE RATIO BETWEEN THE VOLUME OF CRIME FOR BLACK FEMALES AND WHITE FEMALES WOULD BE GREATER THAN THAT FOR BLACK MALES AND WHITE MALES. THE VICTIM SURVEY DATA INDICATED THAT THE PATTERNS OF CRIME FOR BLACK MALES AND BLACK FEMALES WERE LESS SIMILAR THAN THOSE FOR WHITE MALES AND WHITE FEMALES. ADLER'S HYPOTHESIS THAT THE PATTERN OF CRIME FOR BLACK FEMALES WAS CLOSER TO THE PATTERN OF WHITE MALES THAN IT WAS TO WHITE FEMALES WAS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY THE DATA. LIMITATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF THIS STUDY ARE DISCUSSED. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES ARE APPENDED.