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Part 3: Girls, Their Lives and Their Criminality 

The chapters that comprise this week's reading assignment accomplish three things. First, they assess the ability of contemporary scholarship to explain the criminality of girls. Second, they use the reality of girls' lives to identify areas of "male stream" and feminist criminology that are in need of adjustment. Finally, this week's readings use both theory and empirical data to bring into question accusations about the Women's Liberation Movement. 

Criminology and Girls. The term "criminology" refers to the scientific study of crime. Usually it refers to a body of empirical observations and philosophical orientations that allow us to answer "who, what, when, where and how" questions about crime and delinquency. Thus, regardless of their political orientations, all criminologists approach these questions from a particular philosophical perspective. Thus, the theoretical standpoint from which research questions are pursued determines what the answers will be. In Chapters 4-6 Chesney-Lind and Sheldon review some of the more prominent philosophical orientations that have been assumed in the study of female delinquency and analyzes how dominant perspectives have ignored, exaggerated or failed to explain the criminality of girls. As you read, I invite you to think about how each philosophical orientation fits your own personal world view. Is there a standpoint that seems to fit your own beliefs about girls and crime?

Male Stream Theory. Before there was a Women's Movement, scholarly work was the province of a few elite, mostly white men. The truths these men asserted about female criminality were asserted from their limited point of view as elite men. As a consequence, many important experiences of girls were overlooked and ignored. Much of the early theories about girls and delinquency were distorted and at times down right wrong. Chesney-Lind and Sheldon call this phenomenon the "stag" effect. ;-). They join the ranks of an emerging group of scholars that assume a feminist orientation in the study of girls and crime. From this standpoint, they have called into question  a number of "truths" about  female delinquency. As you read, see if you can determine what their primary complaint about male stream theory is and ask yourself whether or not you agree with them. 

The Liberation Hypothesis. One of the greatest events in the history of criminology has involved the heated and deeply entrenched debate about the liberation hypothesis. A product of male stream theory, the liberation hypothesis asserts that a consequence of women's lib has been an increase in female perpetrated crime. More specifically, those who adhere to the liberation hypothesis argue that with gender equality comes equality in criminality. Girls have been "liberated" to act more like boys. Therefore each generation of girls is predicted to commit more crimes (and especially more violence) than the one before. Equality will be achieve once there are no significant differences in the criminality of girls and boys.  Chesney-Lind and Sheldon draw upon a formidable amount of data to debunk this hypothesis. As you read, think about whether or not they succeed. 

Victimization and Criminality. While there is great contention among criminologists about the impact of Women's Liberation on delinquent females, there is considerable consensus about the link between victimization and criminality. In a nutshell, study after study has shown that victimization is the most powerful predictor of female delinquency. In other words, girls who are victims of poverty, racism, crime, and abuse are at a much higher risk of becoming criminals than those who are not. In these chapters Chesney-Lind and Sheldon draw our attentions to the sexual and physical abuse of young girls and argue that it is abuse, not liberation that bring girls before the courts. As you read, see if you can discover how parents, teachers, and criminal justice workers collude in ripening the conditions that support this type of abuse. 

Once you have finished this online lesson,  you are ready to read Chapters 4-6 in Girls, Delinquency and Juvenile Justice.