Misunderstandings in Gender: Women Sexual Predators Essay -- Sexism Cr

There are many heinous crimes that have saturated our society; news reports of a woman being attacked while walking to her car late at night, a child being abducted and his frantic mother pleading with the assailant to let her child go. There is a common theme threaded into the reports we frequently see plastered on our television screens and that theme is masculinity in crime. It seems almost unfathomable that a woman could commit murder, least of all a sex crime. Due to this distorted thinking of the masses, society has shaped judicial systems worldwide to panelize women less frequently and even less harshly than their male counterparts. When a jury of peers sits in judgment of little Susie Q, wife and mother of 4, on counts of child molestation the initial opinion is that of disbelief. If this was a man sitting in Susie’s place, that man is likely considered a pervert, well before any facts or evidence is even mentioned. There are numerous cases of women committing violent and nonviolent sex crimes but rarely do we see them on a late night news broadcast. Is it because it happens less frequently than crimes committed by men? Maybe. Or have we been conditioned to think that women are mothers; sweet, all loving souls that comfort and support the ones they love. How lovely. Women are biologically equipped to be mothers and all sorts of other wonderful things, but because of this generalized view, it seems women are more likely to get away with harming someone and that in no way is acceptable. In the article â€Å"Theories of Sexual Deviancy† by Rosenberg and Associates, the author states â€Å"for the molester, he may find comfort and acceptance in the children he so desires.† This statement openly distinguishes a sex offender as singu... ...oodgates of communication so that we may be able to better understand and accept that sexual crimes do not discriminate based on gender. Trauma has no hormonal preference. When it comes to innocent people being harmed, gender should be completely excluded and the crime should be punished without prejudice preferential treatment. It is important that all people be held to the same standard when it comes to crime and sexual abuse and violence are no exception. Works Cited Burke, Dr. S. Abnormal Psychology/ LifeSpan Psychology Instructor, Washtenaw Community College November 2010. Munro, Kali. Mother Daughter Sexual Abuse: A Painful Topic. 4 December 2010. . Rosenberg and Associates. "Theories of Sexual Deviancy." Angelfire.com. 04 December 2010 .