Women and Crime

Women criminals have rarely been studied; they have been rendered invisible in all but a few sensationalized cases. . . . women who are non-traditional are labeled as deviant; some are called 'mad' and locked up in mental institutions while other are labeled 'bad' and incarcerated. Women and Crime is filled with examples of how this occurs. . . . Heidensohn richly analyzes the popular feminist critique of traditional criminology.--Contemporary PsychologyWhen Susan Smith lost her two boys, her saga captivated the hearts of America. Now that she has been indicted for their murder, she has been demonized by the public. How does the fact that she is a woman influence the venom people now feel towards her crime?In Women and Crime, Frances M. Heidensohn shows that although women commit fewer crimes than men, the punishments women receive are often harsher than men's. The author highlights the crucial role of the media and popular culture and the complex, often stereotyped images of deviant women, as well as the ways in which social control is exercised over women in the family, society, and work.With a new introduction and a new final chapter, the second edition of Frances M. Heidensohn's classic text of feminist criminology also features a fully up-to-date and integrated bibliography.