Double Deviance

Double Deviance Deviance refers to actions or a certain behavior that violates society’s social standards of character (Sudha, 2000). The standards are norms in a community, which comprise of regulations that guide every member in a society. A certain community may have particular actions or practices, which it greatly embraces as their norm while in another; those who do such actions are considered defiant (Heide, 2004). Consequently, deviance is relative to time and place because of diversity in the way people address issues. Therefore, deviance will constitute of failure to follow and obey these norms (Heide, 2004). Every community has their social norms that in most cases differ from one culture to another. In addition, deviance is characterized by thoughts, feelings, or actions that members of a certain community judges to be against the morals and rules of their society. Other sociologists describe it as the departure of particular behavioral practices in a community that go beyond the tolerant level from the normal at a particular time. Studies have shown that there is a big difference in the way men, women are treated at the sentencing stage, and in other policing strategies (Sudha, 2000).The study was triggered by the evident disproportion in the way men in crime are handled compared to women who are sometimes released even with certain offences. Generally, the police treat women more leniently than men in most offences despite the fact that research shows the opposite as far as treatment in particular cases is concerned. In fact, research indicates that violent women offenders receive more sympathetic and personalized justice for serious crimes while on the contrary men receive no comparable understanding (Sudha, 2000). Authors who have written on this issue agree with the fact that women appearing before courts experience double bind of double deviance and double jeopardy which happens because of the fact that the rate of women who commit crimes are so low (Kolb& Egbert, 2008). Because of this belief, the few women who do offences are seen to have violated not only the social norms, but also the society’s gender norms (Heide, 2004). This is because the court systems are not used to handling female offenders and therefore the few who handled there are considered as both rule-breakers and role defiant hence deserve serious punishment. According to Kolb& Egbert (2008) double deviance leads to paternalism, protectiveness, and excessive punishment for the women offenders, this is harmful to them since one faces punishment twice. First is the normal punishment in the judicial systems and thereafter they are likely to undergo harsh treatment because they are categorized as rebellious women who have no place in the society. In addition, it is evident that women also undergo other informal systems of social control and justice, which leaves them suffering because of the stigma involved in the loss of one’s reputation (Kolb& Egbert, 2008). This depicts gender biasness and several people have tried to explain the reason behind the difference in treatment between men and women. Some have concluded that this leniency in sentencing emerges from the male judges who are not willing to lock women up as they are in cases where men are involved. On the other hand, another thesis puts it clear that there has been harsh sentencing of women involved in crimes, which are stereotypically known for men. Examples of this include violence-based crimes which are categorized as the double deviance theory whereby females are violating both the criminal law and the existing stereotype and therefore end up being doubly punished (Carrabine, 2009). According to Farrington and Morris, another explanation for the difference that occurs in sentencing between men and women is they established that there is little or no independent effect upon sentence. Nevertheless, certain factors such as marital status of individuals, family background, and one’s parenthood are well thought-out before passing sentence on females than in men, which results in special and different outcomes. For instance, their findings concluded that most of the divorced and separated women receive relatively more ruthless sentences than women who are married. Further study revealed that in some magistrate courts, the family life of men and women is useful in the decision-making process in sentencing. However, this is erroneous since it does not only show fairness or sameness of treatment, but its role of preserving disparity based on sexual inequality (Heide, 2004). Scholars show that mostly girls have a readily available female role model at their homes that is, the mothers as opposed to the boys who are unable to access the male role model who is the father. This is because from the traditional set up, the fathers were out working given that they were the key breadwinners in the family. Due to this, the number of females taking part in unlawful acts remains small as compared to the boys will break rules to prove their identity as a young man. Therefore, the same trend has continued whereby very few women are found breaking the law (Heide, 2004). There is a feminist perspective that exists on who between men and women is involved in crime, which bases its argument on the view that the society is patriarchal and that women can only be understood under male dominance. The supporters of this view argue that, the offences done by a woman can be known as ‘the crimes of the powerless’ bearing in mind that most of these women live in acute poverty with minimal ability to change the situation they are in or even sometimes suffering from the abuse by fathers. Moreover, even at the adulthood stage most of these women suffer due to living under authority of men who asserted control possibly in the form of violence (Kolb& Egbert, 2008). Other females are likely to indulge in acts that offend the normal behavior as expected by society. An example of this is a case where a woman is in a low paying job or in unemployment, which cannot allow her to attain the standards of living that she had hoped for in life. This not only causes discontentment on the woman alone but also to her children and thus she will result into stealing which deviates from what is morally expected from her as a woman. Since the society has no room for female, thieves and the few such who steal are termed by the community as offenders of the norm. Hence, the woman who has stolen will suffer discrimination since such kind of offences is usually associated with men. In the recent past, cases of women who have taken part in robbery with violence have been witnessed, and the major reason, which triggers this, is unemployment. Another group of such female is those who take part in drug abuse. It looks so awkward to see a woman engaging in acts of drug abuse such as smoking, alcoholism, among others. In most of the communities, such behaviors among women can only be attributed to prostitutes even in this 21st century and women who take part in this qualify to be expelled from some communities (Heide, 2004). This is because a woman is expected to be a role model to her children and therefore taking part in drug abuse does not portray a sense of motherhood, which helps them to protect their young ones from harmful things such as drugs. Furthermore, if a husband’s wife is involved in such ill-mannered behaviors the man can sometimes face pressure from the society and discrimination because the members of the communities do not expect such a character to be exhibited by a female (Singer, 2008). The reason why such behaviors that deviate from the norm are not expected among females is that traditionally the woman has the primary responsibility of raising children to be custodians of the community’s morals and values to the next generations. Another group of female offenders that deviates from the norm is the increasing number of women who are being involved in murder. This is so unfortunate since women are categorized as the most compassionate beings who should not take part in such merciless actions in the community. Therefore, due to this belief when a woman is caught in an act of killing, she is not only a threat to the peace and security of the family but also to the entire nation. Such an offence is mainly associated with men who are majorly considered merciless and violent in a population and women in such a category are a challenge to the traditional expectations on morality of women. Another unexpected behavior that greatly deviates from the normal behavior of women is the group of females who take part in rape. Research shows that men can also be and often are victims of sexual violence. This is so disgusting and like a taboo in the society (Singer, 2008). Any sexual act or conduct among the female adolescents in a community is considered a delinquent offence that violates the sexual conduct norm. Ethically, the female adolescents are restricted from engaging in premarital sex but should instead keep their purity until their time of marriage. Therefore, any female who violates this sexual responsibility of abstaining from premarital sex deviates from the norm. Likewise, the married females are expected to be faithful to their husbands (Sudha, 2000). Any act of unfaithfulness by a female such as being involved in adultery is wrong and highly condemned and can lead to divorce in most traditional communities (Singer, 2008). In some communities, the man is permitted to involve himself in sexual affairs with other women but a female is not allowed. Another group of females that deviates from the normal sex role is a case whereby an adult female commits involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child. This mostly involves children who are less than 18 years of age and could likely result in serious body injury in the course of the offence. In a family set up, the wife is indebted to satisfy her husband sexually and therefore depriving the husband of his matrimonial or conjugal right does not portray the norm. This offence can lead to unfaithfulness or even separation between the two partners (Singer, 2008). Another female offense likely to be viewed as deviating from their normal sex- role behavior is when a woman is involved in anal sexual intercourse or any form of sexual intercourse with an animal. Such practices are discouraged and if witnessed can result into eviction or exclusion of those involved because they are sexual offenses. Likewise, if a woman compels a man into engaging in sexual intercourse by use of physical, intellectual, moral, emotional, or psychological force is seen unethical because traditionally the man is supposed to seduce the female into this act. Furthermore, if a female marries or has sexual intercourse with an ancestor, a brother, or sister of the whole or half blood or an uncle, aunt nephew, or niece of the whole blood, she is deviating from social norms (Sudha, 2000). Traditionally she could be invoking a curse over her family members and relatives. Ignoring duties that are associated to be for ladies is also an issue especially in the traditional set up whereby roles were divided on gender basis. References Carrabine, E. (2009). Criminology (2nd ed.). New York: Taylor and Francis. Heide, I. (2004). Gender Roles and Sex Equality. Washington: International Labor organization. Kolb, H. & Egbert, H. (2008). Migrants and Markets: perspectives from economics and other Social Sciences. London: Amsterdam University Press. Singer, K. (2008). Feminist Perspectives On Female Offending. Retrieved fromhttp://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wwcj20 Sudha, D. K. (2000). Gender Roles. New York: APH Publishing.