Women and Crime

1
Women and Crime

• Presented by Yemisi Thomas

2
Operationalization

• Larceny is the unlawful appropriation of property
  belonging to another.
• Status offenses are minor offenses, such as
  running away from home, incorrigibility,
  breaching a court order, etc.
• Anomaly means irregularity.
• Arson is the unlawful burning of ones own
  property, or property belonging to another.

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Introduction

• The subject of women and crime is extensive.
• This presentation only covers female criminal
  activity and girls in gangs.
• In the area of crime, there has been a lot of
  changes.
• In the past, women/girls were typically
  stereotyped as good and well behaved.
• Hence the low and insignificant numbers in female
  crime.
• However, today women account for a very large
  number of inmates in prison.
• Criminologists have argued that many factors lead
  women/girls to commit crime e.g. Childhood
  trauma, Sexual Abuse, Physical or Emotional
  Abuse, Poverty, etc.

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The problem of Increased Female Criminal Activity

• Over the years, the number of women that commit
  crime has risen drastically.
• In United States prisons the number of female
  inmates has increased.
• Presently, women constitute 93,000 of the total
  number of inmates in prison (Chisney-Lind Pasko
  2004).
• In the 1990s, increases in the number of women in
  prison surpassed those of men, the number of
  women in prison rose by 110.
• Compared to mens increase of 77.

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Problem of Increased Female Criminal Activity
contd.

• Between 1995 and 2001, the average annual
  increase in state and federal correctional
  population for women was 5.2 and for men was
  3.7.
• The incarceration rate for women rose to 23
  during this time, whereas mens incarceration
  rate grew by only 13 (Chisney-Lind Pasko
  2004).

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Trends in Womens Crime

• 33 of growth in female crime is due to violent
  offenses.
• One out of three women in U.S. prisons in 2001
  was doing time for drug offenses.
• And 25 of women in state prisons are doing time
  for property offenses.
• These offenses range from petty theft i.e. shop
  lifting and other minor theft, to serious theft
  offenses.
• 25.1 of all women in prison are doing time for
  larceny.

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Trends in Girls Arrests

• Every year, girls account for over a quarter of
  all arrests of young people in America
  (Chisney-Lind Pasko).
• In 2001, girls accounted for 29 of all juvenile
  arrests.
• In 2001, 4.4 of the arrests were for serious
  violent crimes such as murder.
• Over three times this percentage were arrested
  for larceny Theft and drugs.
• Another 26 account for status offences such as
  running away from home, etc.

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Girls in Gangs

• In the early part of the 1990s, there was a
  rebirth of interest in girls, particularly girls
  of color, engaged in nontraditional, masculine
  behavior.
• This behavior involved joining gangs, tattoos,
  wearing colors carrying guns, violence and
  fighting.
• By 2001 arrests of girls for these offenses
  increased by 65.9.
• Presently, 46 of all juvenile arrests account
  for girl gang activities.

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Table Showing the Increase in Violent Crime for
Girls from 1992-2001
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Percentage Increase in Girls Crimes from 1991 -
2001
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Percentage Changes in Adult Female Crime
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Conclusion

• Female criminal activity is on the increase in
  the U.S.
• The number of women/girls in correctional
  facilities has increased.
• Girl Gang activity is on the rise.
• The United States Government has enacted laws to
  enable the crack down on female crime.