Page 67 - Aug Sept 2016

Violence and Violent Crime- The Gender Consideration
The problem with analyzing the have to fight twice as hard (even if the

comparison between male and female fight turns physical).
offenders is that whilst their motives

might appear different, this is not The criminal justice system now deals
necessarily the case. Influences such with far more women offenders than pre-
as biology, psychology, economic vious decades, but this is also likely to

and education as well as society be in part attributable to the medicaliza-
in general will have an impact on tion of female offenders in the past. Now

each individual’s behavior and their that this is no longer the case, women are
understanding of what is acceptable. identified as criminal not [mentally] ill and
Violence is so often used as a means for thus greater numbers are being included

dispute resolution - particularly in the in criminal offending statistics. Greater
younger generation - that we may be on reporting to the police, due to insurance

an irreversible path. requirements among other things, means
that whereas those offences which may
As seems common within criminology, have been overlooked for being petty no
in order to explain criminality, attempts longer are treated as inconsequential.

are made to encompass causation with
one particular ideal or theory; it is Whether one looks at the lack of imple-

due to this attempt to treat theories as mentation of equality for women, or
mutually exclusive which results in whether men’s masculinity is eroded by
failure. women’s empowerment, whether abuse
victims abuse others so they can gain
Women are different in terms of their control and power over another, many

responses to crime and in particular individuals commit crimes for reasons
violence, their use of violence against understood only by them - and perhaps not

others and their understanding of even then. Theories of crime, causation
violence and crime in general. Women and criminality will be at ever increasing
have been dominated for so long and odds as elements of classicism, positivism,

now they choose to fight back, they are strain theory or a ‘pick-and-mix’ approach
regarded as more dangerous. They are to all three are rejuvenated depending on

altering perceptions held over a long the year or decade.
period of time; that is not to say women
will turn into Amazonian women ready Advances in sciences (natural and social)

to dominate the world and make men may also play a part in the future of how
submissive creatures! However, if we - criminality is considered; genetic or even

as women - want equality, it seems we social predisposition for criminality is not

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