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Gender & Crime
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Key Approaches to Criminology
The Key Approaches to Criminology series aims to take advantage of the
disappearance of traditional barriers between disciplines and to reflect
criminology‘s interdisciplinary nature and focus. Books in the series offer
undergraduate and postgraduate students introductions to the subject, but the
aim is also to advance discussion, move debates forward, and set new agendas
in the field.
Gender & Crime does just this. As Marisa Silvestri and Chris Crowther-Dowey
acknowledge, second wave feminism in the 1970s and 1980s had a huge impact on
criminology and criminal justice and resulted in a plethora of groundbreaking
criminological texts. More recently, however, there has been a tendency to assume
that ‘all things are equal now’, and feminist approaches to crime are all too often
either limited to a single chapter in a broader textbook, or neglected altogether.
This book breathes new life into existing and well-rehearsed debates about gender
in three important respects. First, the fact that Silvestri and Crowther-Dowey focus
on men and women as victims and offenders and professionals within the criminal
justice system is an important and innovative feature in itself. Second, their
discussion of the ways in which very recent trends, policies and practices – including
new public management, penal populism, risk management and the commercialisation
of crime control – may perpetuate and exacerbate inequalities between men and
women, brings the gender and crime debate right up-to-date. Third, their inclusion of a
human rights agenda provides a strong, unifying theme and makes this book a timely
addition to the canon. Quite simply, Silvestri and Crowther-Dowey have produced a
groundbreaking text which will undoubtedly stimulate new debate in this important
area of criminology and c riminal justice.
Yvonne Jewkes
Series Editor
Other books in the series:
Media & Crime (2004) Yvonne Jewkes (University of Leicester)
Globalization & Crime (2007) Katja Franko Aas (University of Oslo)
History & Crime (2007) Barry Godfrey (Keele University), Paul Lawrence
(Open University) and Chris Williams (Open University)
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Gender & Crime
Marisa Silvestri and Chris Crowther-Dowey
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©Marisa Silvestri and Chris Crowther-Dowey
First published 2008
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or
private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication
may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form,
or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing
of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction,
in accordance with the terms of licences issued by
the Copyright Licensing Agency. Inquiries concerning
reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the
publishers.
SAGE Publications Ltd
1 Oliver’s Yard
55 City Road
London EC1Y 1SP
SAGE Publications Inc.
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, California 91320
SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd
B 1/I 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area
Mathura Road
New Delhi 110 044
SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd
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Far East Square
Singapore 048763
Library of Congress Control Number: 2007935309
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-4129-1198-6
ISBN 978-1-4129-1199-3 (pbk)
Typeset by C&M Digitals (P) Ltd., Chennai, India
Printed in Great Britain by Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Printed on paper from sustainable resources
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For Braddie and Sophie
For Libby Mae Dowey
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1 Introduction 1
Part I: Out of Control
2 Women as Offenders 23
3 Men as Offenders 51
Part II: Losing Control
4 Women as Victims 81
5 Men as Victims 109
Part III: In Control
6 Gender and Criminal Justice Workers 137
7 The Criminal Justice System: A Gendered Site 163
8 Conclusions 189
Glossary 215
References 227
Index 253
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Acknowledgments
We owe a great many thanks to a number of people during the undertaking of this
book. The original concept of the book owes much to existing works on gender,
crime and social justice. A great number of feminist writers have worked relentlessly
to expose the ongoing gendered and discriminatory nature of social justice. These
works have had an important impact on our motivations to write this book, encour-
aging us to be ever vigilant of claims that ‘things are equal now’. We hope that this
book balances realism with optimism on the issues explored.
As a joint project, we would firstly like to salute each other. Borne out of a friendship
developed some years ago, working together has been an effortless project, which we
have enjoyed enormously.
The completion of this book has taken somewhat longer than originally anticipated.
We are grateful to everyone at SAGE with whom we have worked, but especially to
Caroline Porter and Yvonne Jewkes for their patience and support over the last couple
of years in seeing this book to fruition. During this time, we have both experienced much
change at home and at work and have appreciated their understanding and support
throughout. Thanks also to Sarah-Jayne Boyd and Louise Skelding. We are very appre-
ciative of the challenging yet constructive comments we received from the reviewers and
hope we have responded as much as possible to their recommendations. Thanks also to
Amnesty International for giving permission to reproduce Biderman’s Chart of Coercion
in Chapter 4. Needless to say we are both responsible for any errors or omissions.
We are both indebted to a wide range of academic colleagues, friends and the
many students we have taught. In particular, Marisa would like to thank Gary Fooks,
Cait Beaumont, Roger Matthews, Frances Heidensohn, Chris Gifford, Robert Cook
Carol Williams and Brian Clark, who have provided a constant source of intellectual
support, friendship, humour and distraction when needed. Chris is grateful to Paul
Senior and Matt Long for some of the ideas the three of us developed in another pro-
ject, which have proved to be useful here. Lyn and Tony Cover have been great
friends, sharing many good times relaxing both at home and in Rochechouart.
Last but not least, many thanks to our families. Chris would like to thank Helen
for her continuing patience and love. During the final stages of this book Simon and
Sally brought Libby Mae Dowey into the world, resulting in much joy and happiness
to all who meet her. Just to wish the three of you all the very best in the years ahead.
Marisa thanks her parents for their continuing love and support. Thanks also to her
sister Antoinette and Paolo, Matteo and Luca for such a wonderful and much-needed
post-book holiday. Last, but by no means least, thanks go to Stef, Braddie and
Sophie. Stef, for making it all bearable through his enduring love, support and the
balance that he gives; and darling Sophie and Braddie, who engender the deepest
sense of sparkle and serenity.
