Gender in Crime News: A Case Study Test of the Chivalry Hypothesis

This content analysis tested the chivalry hypothesis in 6 months of crime reporting in a local U.S. newspaper. The chivalry hypothesis posits that female criminals receive more lenient treatment in the criminal justice system and in news coverage of their crimes than their male counterparts. The stu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mass communication & society 2006-05, Vol.9 (2), p.137-163
Main Authors: Grabe, Maria Elizabeth, Trager, K. D., Lear, Melissa, Rauch, Jennifer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Content analysis
Crime
Criminal Justice
Female Offenders
Gender differences
Media coverage
News Coverage
Sexism
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Summary:This content analysis tested the chivalry hypothesis in 6 months of crime reporting in a local U.S. newspaper. The chivalry hypothesis posits that female criminals receive more lenient treatment in the criminal justice system and in news coverage of their crimes than their male counterparts. The study found partial support for the chivalry hypothesis and prompts a more nuanced formulation of the hypothesis-here termed patriarchal chivalry. This study also produced evidence that news coverage is harsher when men and women collaborate in crime than when men and women act independently of each other in criminal pursuit. The authors called it the Bonnie-and-Clyde effect.
ISSN:1520-5436
1532-7825
DOI:10.1207/s15327825mcs0902_2