Vold, Bernard, and Snipes (2002) discussed gender and crime, noting that gender is the strongest and most consistent correlate of crime and delinquency because with few exceptions (e.g., prostitution) males are much more likely to offend than females. Feminist criminology notwithstanding, liberation from traditional womenÆs roles has not had the effect of increasing crimes committed by women whereas crimes committed by males have decreased in recent years.
At the same time, Besharov and Laumann (2003) pointed out that females may be more likely than males to be victims of child abuse while Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, and Michaels (2003) noted that sexual experimentation is as common among females in many social groups as it is among males. What this suggests is that there are some gender differences that impact upon crime and criminality, but that there are other ways in which the genders are similar. No reasonable explanation has of yet been advanced as to why women are less likely to offend than males, but from the perspective of this writer, it is quite possible that socialization effects may be at work in this area. Females are still socialized to be nurturing rather than aggressive or assertive and to avoid physical conflict.
Also included in the readings for this particular week were chapters by Egger (2002) who discussed the many problems encountered in investigating serial murder by police officers and others. Serial murder is depicted by Egger (2002) as a difficult investigation focus because many law enforcement agencies do not collaborate effectively with one another and if a serial killer moves around the country, he or she is unlikely to be easily identified and apprehended. In addition, Egger (2002) notes that police departments are working to develop effective strategies for investigating serial murder, including task forces, information clearinghouses, psychological profiling, and the use of information t...