Gender Differences and the Criminal Justice System

Gender and the Criminal Justice System It would be foolish to assert that gender plays no role in the criminal justice system, just as it would be equally foolish to say that race plays no role in this system either. Covington and Bloom cite the work of Kivel (1992) in reminding all that Where sexism is prevalent, one of the gender dynamics frequently found is that something declared genderless or gender neutral is, in fact, male oriented. The same phenomenon occurs in terms of race in a racist society, where the term race neutral generally means white (2003). The criminal justice system reflects the needs of men and the values of men in a highly patriarchal society; the issue becomes more complicated when some scholars argue that women should fight for equal rights in all areas of life, including the criminal justice system, arguing that while equal treatment might hurt women in the short run, in the long run, its the best policy for women (Covington Bloom, 2003). On the other hand , opposing groups argue that women are inherently different from men and that insisting on equality will always create a situation where women lose out (Covington Bloom, 2003). This debate creates an uncertain situation about how women should be treated in the criminal justice system and whether gender should play a role accounting for differential treatment. The reality is that there should be some differential treatment according to gender when it comes to the criminal justiceShow MoreRelatedDisparity and Discrimination Essay790 Words   |  4 Pagessituations occur within the criminal justice system. The situations that will be discussed in this essay are Pseudospeciation, bigotry vs. racism, hegemony, social construction, and disparity vs. discrimination. There will be definition on these terms. After defining the all terms, I will apply these terms to the criminal justice system using examples to illustrate the understanding of the definitions. Pseudospeciation Pseudospeciation begins with the fact that cultural differences cause humans to separateRead MoreWomen As Victims And Defendants888 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction This discussion about women as victims and defendants was insightful. There is a lot I did not know when it came to women in the criminal justice system. As a male myself I could not see it from a women’s point of view. It is funny how a man actually was up there explaining to us what women go through while in the criminal justice system. I think it is really significant when someone advocates for someone, or a group who is not affected by their injustice. Dr. Joseph P. Conti presentationRead MoreSociological Explanations For Gender Differences936 Words   |  4 PagesOutline and Assess Sociological Explanations for Gender Differences in Crime Rates Current statistics show that men commit 80% of all crime and women commit only 20%. However there are arguments to suggest that the statistics highlight an under representation of female criminality, and there are many sociological arguments to suggest that female criminals are treated more leniently. On the other hand, some sociologists believe women are treated more harshly when they commit certain types of crimeRead MoreResearch Outline, Annotated Bibliography, and Sample Survey: Women in Prisons1365 Words   |  5 Pagesspouse or partner. The incarceration of women presents far different cultural and sociological issues than those of men issues with children, family, sexual politics and more (NWLC, 2012). The rapid increase of female prisoners in a male-dominated system has left fewer adequate resources available for women. In addition, most research shows that womens prison experiences differ drastically from those of men because their relationships inside and outside prison tend to shape the culture then enterRead MoreRace, Gender, And Age Of Criminal Sentencing : The Punishment Cost Of Being Young, Black,1430 Words   |  6 Pagessome sort of discrimination or bias. Three physical characteristics are often times the root cause of most discrimination, race, gender, and age. In a research paper titled â€Å"The Interaction of Race, Gender, and Age in Criminal Sentencing: The Punishment Cost of Being Young, Black, and Male† three university researchers ask a series of question to determine if race, gender, and age have an effect on judicial sentencing, and how â€Å"these factors might contextualize on another†. The authors look at previousRead MoreGender and Crime Essay946 Words   |  4 PagesGender and Crime Sex is commonly used to describe the innate biological characteristics of humans constituting their femaleness or maleness. Gender on the other hand, covers the social characteristics and usages associated with one sex or the other. Since such roles and customs can vary and be modified it follows that masculine and feminine the terms applied to the respective gendersRead MoreCriminology And Sociology : Criminology1296 Words   |  6 Pagescriminological theory that does not have any inherent biases based upon gender. The need for this is due to the fact that past criminological theories are inherently sexist and holds old stereotypes of women’s behaviours such as menstruation being a sign of deviant behaviour (Pollack, 1961). Additionally, This feeds into the gender ratio problem, which examines why it is men are more represented in the criminal justice system (Cordella Siegel: 1996). Feminist criminological theory examines theRead MoreGender Roles : The Juvenile Justice System1244 Words   |  5 PagesGender Roles in the Juvenile Justice System What role does gender play at the various stages of the juvenile justice system? Gender plays an enormous role in the juvenile justice system; both boys and girls have their fair share of run-ins with the Juvenile Justice System, but now more so than ever, females crime rates have increased. In some instances within the juvenile justice system, it may appear that boys and girls are comparable; however there are differences, even though they are subtle.Read MoreFemale Offenders : Involvement Within Criminal Justice System Essay1603 Words   |  7 Pages　　　　Bryan Santigo 　　　　Crimnal Investigation 　　　　Dr.Ray 　　　　12-3-16 　　　　 　　　　Female Offenders: Involvement within Criminal Justice System 　　　　 　　　　Fines are preferable to imprisonment and other types of punishment because they are more efficient. With a fine, the punishment to offenders is also revenue to the State. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, females are account for 14 percent of the violent crimes. The growing rate of females incarceration calls for a critical evaluation of socialRead MoreReactions and Reflections to Cyndi Banks Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice1060 Words   |  4 PagesReactions and Reflections on Readings in Cyndi Banks Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice Introduction No serious-minded individual over the age of twelve actually thinks that justice and ethical issues involved in criminality are purely black-and-white or clear-cut issues of good and bad. The first chapters of Cyndi Banks (2008) Criminal Justice Ethics, however, make it clear that the issues of right and wrong in the criminal justice system are far more complex, specific, and subtle than