The public has a common perception of “the criminal”, which is portrayed, primarily by the media and the entertainment industry, as a bulky, rugged man who is hiding out there in the dark ready to grab an unsuspecting victim.
However, if one will take a deeper look, these influential institutions may be overlooking a vital change happening on the ground – that women are joining the ranks of criminal offenders, and that they too deserve to occupy a significant space in the portrait.
Men as Crime Perpetrators
Rule of thumb is: if it is a crime, the criminal is a male. Statistics show that men commit 75.6% of recorded crime, with the violent ones being committed because the criminal has aggressive tendencies. Research also noted violent crimes are committed by men who hailed from communities where women notably outnumber men. The explanation is men from those communities are likely to compete for female attention and families in those places are run by a single parent.
Psychology experts believe that the competition theory among men may be applied among women offenders, although the application is not exactly similar. For women offenders, it is probably because they have come from societies where competitive pursuits are given high importance.
Differences in the Commission of Crimes between Genders
Data shows that the tendency of male offenders is to assault their victim or commit aggravated battery against them. Women are more subtle or indirect, which has been observed from their preference for using guns as a way to kill a person. This is their most preferred method, but they also scored high in the use of poison. The score was seven times than that of men favoring to use poison. Men are 67% more likely to use a gun than women. Men voted the use of knife as their second choice.
If using guns isn’t an option, men chose beatings, using blunt objects and strangling their victims as most preferred choices. On the other hand, women will go for drowning, setting on fire, poisoning, asphyxiation and stabbing in the absence of a gun.
Differences in Crime Types between Genders
It is still not too grim for women after all. Records show that most of the charges filed against women only involve nonviolent acts done against properties. It is likely that the female offender only committed a non-serious offense such as theft, or larceny, or forgery. If it is a charge that is related to the use of weapons, it is more likely that the one who is being arrested or charged is a male member of society.
Overall Rationale for Women Landing in Prison
Considering all possible factors, it has been observed that it is the idea of giving women “equal treatment and opportunities” that’s causing them to commit crimes. Ironically, the gain achieved in the name of equality is giving women opportunities to get involved in crime-related activities. In the world of women, attaining balance between “achieving higher states of freedom” and “utilizing freedom for personal benefits” is becoming a difficult quest.
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