Describe the basis of feminist criminology

Feminist criminology was created out of the realization that criminology from its beginnings focused on the male criminal and the unlawful acts they committed. When in the fact it could be argued female crime was studied as far back as 1800's, female criminal activity, its causes and the effects in which it placed on public opinion were often disregarded. Over the past 20 years, there has been a significantly different approach in how females are being dealt with inside the criminal justice system. This has been the result of a more broadening law enforcement effort, stringent medication sentencing laws, and post-conviction limits to reentry that would greatly influence females.

While there seems to be numerous hypotheses on feminist criminology, liberal, radical, Marxist, and communist theories seem to be most often understood. Woman’s activist criminology attempts to redefine the thought process of criminologists to include more of a sexual orientation and to remedy the issues of why women are more unlikely than men to commit a criminal offense, and whether or not standard male speculation could be altered to elucidate female responsibility. Liberal feminist criminology emerged in the 1960’s to bring attention to discrimination against women.

Currently it thrives to address women’s issues, lobby for women’s rights, create opportunities, and change a woman’s role in the public sector. Radical feminism seems to conflict and differ with liberal woman's rights, as they have constraints in regards to perspectives. Radical women's liberation looks at how women came to share in small roles in any situation, what male dominance consists of, and how social classes themselves could be altered. Radical women's activists would agree that as young men grow into men they are taught to be dominant bringing about strength in their pursuit for power in society.