Within the article “Deviance Gendered, Criminology Exposed” written by Dawn Rae the relationship between crime and gender is presented. Based on information in the article Cesare Lombroso perceived women as being the “kinder, gentler sex,” because of this he was very intrigued that such a sex would be able to commit various crimes; crimes that are very much similar to that of males. Lombroso believed that both men and women had the potential to be born criminals. This was led to be an explanation as to why the passive female could engage in violent behaviors. Lombroso also went on to say that “women’s very inferiority made them less criminally prone than men” and later contradicted his hypothesis by stating that women were less atavistic than men. After reading the article the one question that I had was, what could possibly make a woman go against everything that she is (kind and gentle) and commit murder? In an episode of “Women Behind Bars” the story of how Lori Mcluckie ended up having to spend time behind bars is told. Mcluckie had just broken up with her boyfriend and attempted to commit suicide before graduating college. Mcluckie hoped to start anew life where no one knew her and made the decision to relocate to Denver, Colorado. Unable to adjust to life in Denver and make friends Mcluckie turned her attention to dating men, men in which she referred to as “losers,” men who were either alcoholics or jobless. By dating men who were inferior to her Mcluckie was able to boost her self-esteem. One man in particular that Mcluckie dated was a twenty-two year old by the name of Andrew who according to Mcluckie drank alcohol excessively and would come home and repeatedly slap her causing Mcluckie to develop hatred towards Andrew and lash out to him verbally. One night Andrew arrived home drunk and passed out and Mcluckie tied him to the radiator, restrained him, beat him and killed him. Mcluckie says that she was afraid and had no way out. According to district attorney Nathan Chambers people commit murder for a number of different reasons such as, greed, jealousy and anger. It appears to be the case that Lori Mcluckie committed murder out of extreme anger.
Episode Below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxsEQ5ovUUc
This is a very interesting topic. What makes women criminals?
Even though, we are considered soft and gentle. There are ones that are not or there are part of us that can be triggered for us to become criminals. I thinks there is a criminal or vicious part inside all of us (male and females). Women react to the situation. Women are more violated and abused than men. there are women that are abused sexually, physically and psychologically since childhood. These situations make women more reasons to become criminals because they don’t know any better. A study from Robert Ressler a former FBI agent describes the following: “Voices in the head, childhood abuse or trauma, sexual incompetency, attention seeking, inferiority complex, dysfunctional personality are some of the driving factors which lead male serial killers on a killing spree. Since a female offender’s reason for committing crimes are much different from her male counterparts, police and law enforcement agencies have a difficult time tracking her and putting her behind the bars.”
In 1998 a study was conducted about female serial killers with over 100 cases and it led to the classification of female killers into 9 categories:
1. Angel of Death
2. Black Widow
3. Sexual Predator
4. Advenger
5. Partner in Crime
6. Profit or Crime
7. Question of sanity
8. Unexplained
9. Unsolved
Women also choose a less aggressive method of killing such as: possioning, drowning, strangulating, etc.
Please read this article it is very interesting.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/female-serial-killers.html
Maria Leon