Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Gender Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2018) | Viewed by 21395

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
Interests: gender and crime; masculinities; criminological theory; violations of international criminal law; international criminal courts

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A great deal of theoretical and empirical work has established that gender is one of the strongest, and most persistent, correlates of criminal offending and victimization. This association holds across time and across space. Additionally, gender and gendered views can shape law making itself, influencing the criminalization and stigmatization of behaviors, which can further integrate gendered cultural structures and offending. Simply, if one wants to understand crime (be it offending, victimization, or criminalization), one must understand its gendered nature. By and large, in the contemporary era, men are responsible for the vast majority of serious criminal offending and, with a few exceptions, are also most often the victims of serious violent crimes. Women who do offend often find themselves restricted to more feminized crimes, or to different enactment approaches. Yet, there is also a sizable amount of gender overlap in motivation, enactment, and other forms of offending and victimization behavior. There are ample opportunities to enrich our understanding how gender operates at the macro and the micro level to mold crime and criminality.

This Special Issue intends to advance current discussions on gender and crime; it welcomes contributions that expand our understanding at all levels of analysis of: 1) the relationships between gender and offending, 2) the relationships of gender and victimization, 3) gender neutral or aspects of offending or victimization where there is an overlap or high degree of similarity in gender experiences, 4) gendered criminalization within law making, and 5) methodological issues related to the study of gender and crime. Due to the intersectional and interdisciplinary nature of studying the intersection of gender and crime, papers from relevant social sciences are welcomed, as are all theoretical, epistemological, and methodological approaches.

Dr. Christopher W. Mullins
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • gender and crime
  • masculinities
  • femininities
  • gendered victimization
  • law and social control
  • quantitative methods
  • qualitative methods
  • intersectionality

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 262 KiB  
Article
Penal and Custodial Control of Female Criminality in Spain from a Gender Perspective
by María Acale Sánchez
Soc. Sci. 2019, 8(2), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8020052 - 14 Feb 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4483
Abstract
Gender is a uniquely important factor in women’s lives and female criminality alike: A study of statistics on female criminality worldwide shows that several gender-related factors may determine a woman’s commission of an offence, her life in prison, and perhaps even her future. [...] Read more.
Gender is a uniquely important factor in women’s lives and female criminality alike: A study of statistics on female criminality worldwide shows that several gender-related factors may determine a woman’s commission of an offence, her life in prison, and perhaps even her future. Reflecting on this problem based solely on official statistics is difficult because some variables remain invisible from this perspective. Consequently, it is necessary to study the problem by applying criminological methods and examining past judgements. Whether it be an analysis of offences predominantly associated with women in the statistics (drug trafficking), or of other crimes that are not (terrorism, white/pink-collar crime), it is possible to identify gender patterns that in micro-criminological terms serve to elucidate the reasons why these women have committed an offence. It may even be possible to prevent female criminality by tackling the gender stereotypes that are present in all these crimes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice)
16 pages, 281 KiB  
Article
Impact of Partner Violence on Female Delinquency
by Luz Adriana Aristizábal Becerra and Jenny Cubells Serra
Soc. Sci. 2019, 8(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8020032 - 24 Jan 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4334
Abstract
In recent decades there has been an increase of criminal behavior by women, which is due to social rather than individual change. Feminist analysis points to the existence of an androcentric and patriarchal order, which through the practices of subjectification, builds the identity [...] Read more.
In recent decades there has been an increase of criminal behavior by women, which is due to social rather than individual change. Feminist analysis points to the existence of an androcentric and patriarchal order, which through the practices of subjectification, builds the identity of the subjects. These practices have been shaped by close affective bonds, including couple bounds, who in turn have constructed them as criminals. Ninety-four women were interviewed in six prisons in four countries. Their life stories were analyzed through Atlas.ti. Affective bonds with the partner and gender violence are the two main categories of analysis. It was found that the affective bonds with the partner that included violent behavior can be a factor leading these women towards crime. The findings suggest that the women were imprisoned, before entering prison, in violent relationships that held them, configuring their subjectivity. The violent partner bonds and female delinquency associated with them are the product of a patriarchal society that does not see a difference between being a victim or being criminal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice)
13 pages, 2453 KiB  
Article
Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria: A Persisting Challenge for Women’s Rights
by Sanni Yaya and Bishwajit Ghose
Soc. Sci. 2018, 7(12), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci7120244 - 22 Nov 2018
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 10307
Abstract
Although considered a violation of human rights, female genital mutilation (FGM) is a commonly accepted practice in Nigeria in the ritual and sociocultural context of the population. In recent years, there have been strong policy actions by Nigerian legislature to curb this practice. [...] Read more.
Although considered a violation of human rights, female genital mutilation (FGM) is a commonly accepted practice in Nigeria in the ritual and sociocultural context of the population. In recent years, there have been strong policy actions by Nigerian legislature to curb this practice. Despite that, FGM continues to be a widespread phenomenon. In this study, we aimed to report on the prevalence of FGM, women’s attitude towards this practice, and its association with selected sociodemographic factors. Methods: Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2003, 2008 and 2013 provided the data for this study. The participants were married women aged between 15 and 49 years. Owing to the clustered nature of the data, a complex survey plan was created to account for cluster effects and sampling weights. Data were analysed using bivariate and multivariate regression techniques. Results: Overall prevalence of FGM was 38.9% (95% CI = 36.4–40.1), and that among their daughters was 17.4% (95% CI = 15.3–19.7). There has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of FGM in 2013 compared to its 2003 level. Respondents who had undergone circumcision were more likely to have their daughters circumcised. In all three surveys, almost all of the circumcisions were performed by traditional practitioners. In the regression analysis, respondent’s age, area and region of residency, religious affiliation, educational status, and household wealth appeared to be significant predictors of FGM. Conclusion: In Nigeria, FGM remains a widely prevalent phenomenon with an increasing number of women experiencing this practice. Important regional and socioeconomic disparities were observed in the prevalence which merit urgent policy attention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice)
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