The New Criminals
The reason society gets shocked when violent crimes are committed by women.
By Aleksandra Georgieva
Crime is an ongoing social issue. It can be witnessed in everyday life as well as on screen through various films and TV shows. Minor or severe, crimes seem to fascinate many people. This could potentially be due to the thrill of breaking specific social rules or the aesthetics of committing a crime. Either way, it’s fair to admit that there is a double standard when women are the ones breaking the law or causing danger for other individuals. Below are some reasons of why it is so shocking.
Illustration by Aleksandra Georgieva
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Typically, female violence is often viewed separately from womanhood. If a woman commits a crime, whether it’s a robbery or a murder, her character will inevitably be scrutinised. The role of a mother, wife and even the very essence of being a woman, will be put in negative light. Also, her sexuality will get examined. She will likely begin to be perceived as less attractive but, what society labels even lower than the appearance of a criminal woman, are the reasons behind her actions.
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Often people have a hard time processing the thought of female criminals. Women in general are perceived as gentle, caring, beautiful and in a way fragile. Crime is quite the opposite of all this. As a result, women are often pitied instead of blamed when it comes to discussing their acts of violence. In many cases, society prefers to believe that a pressure of circumstances would’ve forced them into committing a crime. A large argument however, involves the influence of ‘evil men’. The common idea of criminals is closely related to men as they are the ones strong, violent, powerful or aggressive enough to commit wrongdoings.
Illustration by Aleksandra Georgieva
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Statistics from womeninprison.org show some interesting results. The higher number of females affected by the criminal justice system is inevitably due to the increase in the severity of sentences. The number of imprisoned women in England and Wales doubled between the second half of the nineties and 2010, reaching over four thousand prisoners. In 2016 nearly eight and a half thousand females were sent to prison. The majority of them have suffered domestic violence, experienced sexual or emotional abuse, or have been under authority care as children. Yet, most of those facts don’t come to mind when hearing about violence amongst women. As a result, the possibility of female crimes is often shocking.
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Even in TV shows, films or crime novels the suspects are predominantly male. The moment it is revealed that the criminal is a female, it often serves as an unexpected turn. With the rise of feminism, media tries to portray females in strong, powerful and influential positions, such as the roles of head detectives, agents or police. While this might oppose their appearance of a gentle and fragile human, they are still seen as defenders of justice. It remains difficult to process the perception of women as the ones who cause the violence.