Female delinquency in sociology and criminology Essay

Female delinquency in sociology and criminology - Essay Example The women's movement has caused assertiveness and was said to encourage young women to adopt certain "male behaviors" such as drinking, stealing, and fighting. The social and environmental risk factors also contributed to the increase in female delinquency. The study by Lind & Shelden in 1998, as cited by Weiler revealed that the interaction of social class, race, ethnicity, and culture cause young women to behave violently (65). The research showed that girls from low-income families seek recognition by adopting a "bad girl" image because of their disappointment of not being able to attain a college degree. Furthermore, in a study by Artz, he showed that a girl’s poor school performance increases their risk of violence and delinquency, more than boys (66). In the same study, Art also found out that women jailed for crimes as compared with their male counterparts, usually are victims of previous sexual or physical abuse. In conclusion, although there is an increase in female d elinquency over the past few years, one can still say that in general, girls are still less delinquent than boys because of their nurturing qualities. It can be observed however, that social and environmental factors contribute a lot to female delinquency.