Do Men and Women Perceive White-Collar and Street Crime Differently? Exploring Gender Differences in the Perception of Seriousness, Motives, and Punishment

• Date: 01 August 2013
• DOI: 10.1177/1043986213496378
• Author: Stacey J. Bosick,Mary Dodge,Victoria Van Antwerp
• Published date: 01 August 2013
• Subject Matter: Articles

Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice

29(3) 399 –415

© 2013 SAGE Publications

Reprints and permissions:

sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav

DOI: 10.1177/1043986213496378

ccj.sagepub.com

Article

Do Men and Women

Perceive White-Collar and

Street Crime Differently?

Exploring Gender Differences

in the Perception of

Seriousness, Motives, and

Punishment

Mary Dodge1, Stacey J. Bosick2, and Victoria Van

Antwerp1

Abstract

Public perceptions of white-collar crime have shifted from indifference to awareness

based on recent, highly publicized corporate collapses and Ponzi schemes. This

research explores perceptions of white-collar crime with a focus on gender.

Participants (N = 900) read one of six crime scenarios involving either a white-collar

crime (Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, corporate crime) or a street crime (auto theft,

burglary, prostitution) committed by a male or female offender. Respondents then

rated the behavior on seriousness, harshness of punishment, and offender motivation

(i.e., greed and stress). Overall, the results support previously observed patterns

showing that citizens see white-collar crime as a serious societal problem. Ponzi

schemes are seen as more serious than the three street crimes. The findings also

show differences between male and female respondents on the issues of offense

seriousness, punishment, and offender motivation, but attitudes toward offenders’

gender are more ambiguous.

Keywords

white-collar crime, corporate crime, street crime, gender and crime, public opinion

1School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, CO, USA

2Department of Sociology, University of Colorado Denver, CO, USA

Corresponding Author:

Mary Dodge, School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, PO 173364, Campus Box 142,

Denver, CO 80217, USA.

Email: Mary.dodge@ucdenver.edu

496378CCJ29310.1177/1043986213496378Journal of Contemporary Criminal JusticeDodge et al.

research-article2013

400 Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 29(3)

Prior research exploring gender differences in public perceptions of white-collar crime

is scarce, and few studies have placed gender differences among offenses and offend-

ers as the central focus. But with the potentially increasing involvement of women in

white-collar crime, it is important to investigate whether the public views female

white-collar offenders the same as males, to better understand societal expectations of

resource allocation and constructions of gender in the criminal justice system. Also, as

women assume more important political and policy-making roles in society, further

exploration of gender as a defining construct for who commits crimes and why may

offer insight into differences in motivation and may influence potential public policy

decisions. Public opinion often shapes legislative reactions to crime and punishment.

This article first reviews previous research and changing trends in public opinion

related to the seriousness of white-collar crime compared to street crime. More impor-

tant, the research examines perceived differences in gender of the offender and respon-

dents. Then we present the findings of the current research, which uses crime scenarios

to explore public opinion and perceptions of offenders and offenses with a focus on

gender differences. The research also presents comparative information on the per-

ceived seriousness and punishment deserved for six types of crime (burglary, auto

theft, prostitution, Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, and corporate crime). Also, to extend

the existing literature, we include an exploration of how the public views potential

motivations (greed and stress) and offenders’ feelings of remorse for their actions.

Finally, suggestions for policy implications and future research are discussed.

Public Perceptions

Understanding how and why the public reacts to crime is an important area of research,

with widespread policy implications. When community members take umbrage and

demand answers to crime problems, at a local level and nationwide, policy makers

tend to listen. Whether the crimes involve serious drugs, such as crack or methamphet-

amine, or gang violence, communities rely on politicians and criminal justice officials

to curb problematic behaviors. Until recently, however, white-collar crime rarely

raised eyebrows among the general public (Geis, 1973). Not surprising, early survey

research on public opinion showed offenses that resulted in direct bodily harm were

viewed as the most serious. Overall, initial research on public perceptions of crime and

seriousness showed relatively consistent results, generally associated with the degree

of physical harm (Grabosky, Braithwaite, & Wilson, 1987; O’Connell & Whelan,

1996; Rossi, Waite, Bose, & Berk; 1974; Sellin & Wolfgang, 1964). Rossi et al. (1974),

for example, found that crimes against persons, particularly murders, were ranked as

the most serious out of 140 types of offenses. In comparison, crimes without a “vic-

tim,” such as loitering, drunkenness, and vandalism, received low rankings, as did

many of the white-collar crimes. White-collar crimes (e.g., embezzlement, price goug-

ing, and price fixing) typically were among the lowest in seriousness rankings by the

public. However, respondents in Cullen, Clark, Mathers, and Cullen’s (1983) survey

of a sample of 240 adults supported criminal sanctions for white-collar crimes because

of the high moral and economic costs.