How have understandings of sex and gender affected women and men as criminals, justice professionals and as victims?
Understandings of sex and gender have significantly shaped how individuals are perceived and treated within the criminal justice system—as criminals, justice professionals, and victims. As Criminalsm, women have been seen as more passive, nurturing, or morally superior, which led to their criminal behavior. This often resulted in either harsher punishment usually for violating gender norms or more lenient treatment becasuse they are seen as needing help or protection.
Men are socialized to be aggressive and dominant, which can correlate with higher rates of violent crime. The criminal justice system often normalizes male aggression. Sometimes it leads to under-policing or excusing certain behaviors as “boys being boys.” Men often receive more severe penalties for the same crimes compared to women, possibly due to being viewed as more dangerous or morally culpable.
How sex and gender affect the criminal justice system?
As Justice Professionals, women have historically been underrepresented in roles like police officers, judges, and lawyers. Female professionals can bring different approaches. Men dominate leadership positions in criminal justice, often shaping policy and workplace culture. Male justice professionals may be discouraged from showing empathy or adopting rehabilitative approaches, reinforcing punitive systems.
As victims, female who are victims of sexual assault or domestic violence, often face scrutiny about their behavior, appearance, or credibility. Due to fear of disbelief or further trauma, many women do not report crimes like rape or harassment. Male victims, particularly of sexual violence or domestic abuse, face societal stigma and disbelief, as victimhood is seen as incompatible with masculinity. Systems often fail to adequately support male victims due to gendered expectations and lack of services. Shame, fear of emasculation, and distrust of being taken seriously contribute to lower reporting rates among male victims.
Deliverables:
You should respond with one main post, and two responses to your peers. Your main post should be no less than 300 words, detailed in response to the prompts, proofread for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Peer responses should be 100 words, demonstrating how you agree, disagree, or clarifying a question. Additionally, remember cite any outside references in APA Format.