Which group makes up the great majority of prisoners?

men. This is true in every country that keeps records.

What is the culture of masculinity?

the expectation that males should be tough, competitive and risk-taking. Some crime is a way of living up to it.

hatred of or contempt for women. It motivates some crimes against women.

How does closer supervision of girls affect crime?

it reduces their opportunity to offend. Control limits opportunity.

As more women reach senior positions at work, what might happen to female white-collar crime, according to the opportunity argument?

it may rise, because more women will have the chance to commit it. Opportunity is one of the explanations for the gender gap.

Gender and crime · Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 revision

In plain words

Of every pattern in crime, this is the largest, and the one most often taken for granted. In every country that keeps records, the great majority of offenders are male. Sociologists ask two questions: why do men offend so much, and do women really offend so little?

9 things to know

The pattern: in official statistics, men commit far more crime than women, especially violent crime, and make up the great majority of prisoners. Men are more likely to be victims of violence from strangers. Women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence.
The chivalry thesis says that the police and courts, being mostly male, are protective towards women and treat them more leniently. So women's crime is under-recorded.
Against the chivalry thesis: women who break the rules of femininity as well as the law may be treated more harshly.
Culture of masculinity: boys are brought up to be tough, to take risks and to win. Some crime is a way of showing that kind of masculinity.
Socialisation and social control: girls are brought up to be caring and careful. They are supervised more closely as children, and as adults many have responsibilities at home that leave little time or opportunity for crime.
Misogyny is hatred of or contempt for women. It lies behind some crimes that are committed against women.
Stereotyping: because offenders are assumed to be male, women are less likely to be suspected.
Gang culture: most gangs are male, and status in them often depends on violence.
Lack of opportunity: women have had fewer chances to commit some crimes, such as large-scale fraud at work, because fewer women held senior posts.

Worked example

Explain, using the idea of social control, why women commit less crime than men.

As children, girls are supervised more closely than boys, so they have fewer chances to offend.
As adults, many women carry most of the childcare and housework, which keeps them at home.
Women are also judged more harshly for losing their reputation, which makes them more careful.
So control at home, and in public, reduces both the opportunity and the wish to offend.

Tips and tricks

There are two kinds of answer here: women really do commit less crime (socialisation, control, opportunity), or women's crime is hidden (the chivalry thesis). Use both.
The chivalry thesis is about how the system treats women, not about how women behave.

5 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Gender and crime: 5 questions and answers

These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.

Which group makes up the great majority of prisoners?
- women
- men (the answer)
- people over 60
- children
This is true in every country that keeps records.
What is the culture of masculinity?
- a law about men
- a type of prison
- the expectation that males should be tough, competitive and risk-taking (the answer)
- a study of male victims
Some crime is a way of living up to it.
What is misogyny?
- hatred of or contempt for women (the answer)
- a fear of crime
- a type of sentence
- unfair treatment of the young
It motivates some crimes against women.
How does closer supervision of girls affect crime?
- it increases their offending
- it has no effect
- it makes them join gangs
- it reduces their opportunity to offend (the answer)
Control limits opportunity.
As more women reach senior positions at work, what might happen to female white-collar crime, according to the opportunity argument?Stretch
- it will disappear
- it will fall
- it may rise, because more women will have the chance to commit it (the answer)
- it cannot change
Opportunity is one of the explanations for the gender gap.

5 questions

Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.

Worksheet

3 questions, 10 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

Gender and crime

Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 10 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

What is meant by the "chivalry thesis"?[2]
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The idea that the police and courts treat women more leniently than men, so that women's crime is under-recorded.
I got this one
Explain two reasons why men commit more crime than women.[4]
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Any two, each explained: boys are socialised into a culture of masculinity that values toughness and risk; men are less closely controlled than women; men have more opportunity to commit crime at work and in public; male gang culture rewards violence.
I got this one
Explain one argument for and one argument against the chivalry thesis.[4]
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For: police and judges may see women as less of a threat and treat them more leniently, so fewer women are charged or imprisoned. Against: women who break gender norms, for example by being seen as bad mothers, may be punished more harshly than men.
I got this one

Answers: Gender and crime

1. The idea that the police and courts treat women more leniently than men, so that women's crime is under-recorded.
2. Any two, each explained: boys are socialised into a culture of masculinity that values toughness and risk; men are less closely controlled than women; men have more opportunity to commit crime at work and in public; male gang culture rewards violence.
3. For: police and judges may see women as less of a threat and treat them more leniently, so fewer women are charged or imprisoned. Against: women who break gender norms, for example by being seen as bad mothers, may be punished more harshly than men.