Gender, Violence, Crime

1
Gender, Violence, Crime

• Ch.7 , p.200-206
• Chapter 9

2
Violence in Families and Intimate Relationships,
Ch. 7

• Official StatisticsUS Dept. of Justice
• Continued High incidence
• 57--married/ex-spouses
• only 50 report abuse
• Three forms of violence
• partner
• child
• elder

3

• 1.Partner abuse-
• A. Heterosexual couples
• Women most likely to be victims
• Mutual batteryexists with differences
• Overall diff in quantity quality
• Motivation
• Menmaintain control
• Womenself defense

4

• Consequences
• Malemore likely to inflict injury
• 1/3 female homicide Victims-
• perpetrator is partner
• 3 male homicide killed by part.
• Female-
• 3 increase in homicide victims
• from 1976-1998 (white
  women)

5

• Causes
• discussion of biological, social, psych.
• cultural
• drug/alcoholcorrelationnot causal
• why? Inhibition, judgment,
• physiological effects
• used to justify or excuse

6

• Cross-class occurrence
• low-incomehigher incidence
• correlated to poverty
• may be that women are trapped
• in low income situation
• may be an effect of reporting
• econ resources keep higher
• income groups out of legal
  system

7

• Why dont they leave?
• 1. low incomeno place to go
• children to
  support
• employed/ higher income women
• most likely to leave
• 2. no guarantee abuse will stop
• leaving is most dangerous time
• 3. Women in a relationship (Sable House
• speaker-Rochelle
  Juarez)

8

• Violent society
• some still consider spousal violence
• normal or justified (1997)
• 27.6--in 1990 study
• courtship violence-
• 1 in 10 High school students exper.
• 2-3 in 10 college student exper.
• legal system inconsistent
• within system punishment
• protection

9

• 1 B. Partner Abuse Gay and Lesbian Relationships
• Diff. to establish
• Arguesame rate
• but, based on data from volunteers
• for research
• Leavingsame econ. Problems homophobia
• fewer resourcesmen not welcome
  in
• some
  shelters
• only alternativehomeless shelter
• legal systemnot friendly
• may have smaller family network
• guilt if batter HIV positive

10

• 2. Child Abuse
• abuse more likely from acquaintance
• 1 million abused neglected (2001)
• legal issues-
• under-reporting
• inconsistencies-state to state
• availability of staff

11

• Types of abuse
• neglect-53
• physical abuse-23
• sexual abuse12
• povertyhigh correlation
• Child poverty in USA172008

12

• Gender diff in child abuse
• 52 of victims-girls
• type of abuse
• boysphysical more likely
• girls-emotional
• 3X more likely-sexual
  abuse
• sexual abuser more likely know victim

13

• Effects
• suicide, risk taking, fighting, eating prob
• Gender diff in sexual abuse
• Girlsact out in adolescence
• Boys-internalize, self-harm
• Adults over sensitive to stress
• risk mood disorders, physical-
• heart disease

14

• Mothers more likely to abuse children
• spend more time?
• Boyfriends of single mothers abuse childrenmore
  than mothers-
• sexual abuse
• 1990 studymost people approve
• strict control
• physical punishment

15

• 3. Elder abuse
• Typical abuserfamily member
• difficult to estimatelow reporting
• Risk
• age 75
• bad health
• econ or physically dependent

16

• Women at higher risk
• morelive longer than men
• vulnerable to sexual assault
• lower status than elderly men
• Abusers
• spousetaking revenge
• adult childrenlearned violence,
• daughterscare in own house
• may also work, care
  for family
• little support
• high stress

17

• Solutions
• mandatory arrest
• but after abuse happens
• need resources
• prevention focus
• Cost of retirement living- 200,000
• plus monthly fees 2,000-4,000

18
Gender, Crime, and Justice

• Gender and Crime (2001)
• arrests78 male
• arrests for violent crimes83
• arrests for property crimes-70

19

• Sentencing disparitiesdiff. sentences
• based on similar crimes
• Earlier studieswomen treated leniently
• Current studies-
• respectability-conformance to
• traditional gender norms affects
• sentencing-
• Thus, most incarcerated women
• poor, Black, unmarried,
• jail--petty property or drug crimes

20
Rape

• Some decrease in reporting
• least likely to be reported
• low conviction rate22
• prison sentence22
• time servedsentenceless than 10
• served less
  than 5
• Definition force or threat of force to have some
  form of sexual intercourse with another person

21
Rape myths

• 1. Victim provokes/invites attack
• 2. justified if any deviation from respectable
  femininity
• walking alone, drug/alcohol use, in bar
• alone, style of dress
• 3. Some women unrapeable-prostitutes,
• drug addictsfew services
• 4. women enjoy forced sex
• 5. really mean yes when say no

22
Acquaintance Rape

• 60 -victims know rapist
• 90 under 12 yrs--Younger-even more
• likely to know rapist
• Stranger rape more likely to be reported
• College campuses
• study-1 in 8 students victims (1987)
• 84--knew rapist
• other studies-2001-show how questions
• worded affect results
• Location 2001
• 26 in victims home 33.6-home or
  environs-friend

23
Marital Rape

• Sexual assault by spouse
• Historically-not recognized
• women treated as property
• 1979first conviction
• Accompanies other forms-family violence
• Estimate-9-14 of US marriages
• All states prohibit,
• but 30 states have exemptions
• example conviction only if used a weapon

24

• New resources in criminal justice system
• police officers/judges-training
• advocacy organizations-M. County
• Victim Assistance
• medical protocol-class presentation

25
Who are the rapists

• Sex offendersapparent normality
• in psych terms
• --more likely to be
  physically
• or sexually abused as
  child
• Cultural context
• rape free/rape prone society
• 1. how women/mens jobs are valued
• 2. use of violence in interpersonal relat