Assess explanations for apparent gender differences in involvement in crime (21 marks)

There are clear gender differences in the level of crime in society. In 2015 official statistics showed that male prison population was at 95%, with women prison population only 5%. The division in these figures may be due to several factors such as how crimes are actually recorded and the idea that males do commit more crimes that females and the male stream society that we are in.

It may be believed that women commit less crime due to the socialization they received throughout their life and the social control they receive as adults. During the socialisation process it can be seen that girls are socialised differently to boys. This idea was supported by Walurm who recorder conversations in a maternity ward. Baby girls were comforted when they cried and described as sweet, whereas boys were expected to be noisy and tough. Similarly, Statham found that parents find it virtually impossible to be non sexist in child rearing. Toy shops aimed weapons for boys and domestic toys such as babies and cooking equipment at girls. This could therefore explain why men are more likely to be involved in crimes involving physical violence or possession of an offensive weapon.

Additionally, Parsons believed that because child-rearing is primarily carried out by mothers, with fathers potentially being absent or having little influence in the child's life, girls have an advantage in their socialisation as they have a clear role model to follow that emphasizes caring and support compared to boys who often lack a male role model. This theory was supported by Farrington and Painter's longitudinal study of female offenders. They found that female offenders were much more likely to have had harsh or erratic parenting and to have had little support or praise from their parents for their