Social controls may influence males and females in different ways. Research has shown that certain types of informal social controls such as bonds with parents much more significantly insulate females from offending than males. Conversely, turning points such as marriage have been found to have more significant effects on reducing crime for males, while potentially increasing crime for females if they are involved with an antisocial partner. Formal sources of social control have also been found to differentially affect females, where females may receive less harsh penalties for crimes that are atypical of female offenders, such as violent crimes, but more harsh penalties for crimes such as drug use.
The legalization of marijuana for recreational use continues to expand across America. Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize marijuana in 2012. A primary concern regarding legalization is how these policy changes affect crime rates. Researchers have begun to estimate the effect marijuana legalization has had on crime rates. We extend this literature by using a different analytical approach. State level data covering years 2000–2019 were analyzed using the synthetic control method to find that legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Colorado and Washington was generally not associated with variations in index crime rates. These findings substantiate prior research. Increased crime rates should not be a primary concern as more states move to adopt recreational marijuana use legislation. Instead, the benefits to states via harm reduction, increased tax revenue, and a more efficient allocation of policing resources ought to be more of a consideration for states when passing recreational marijuana legislation.
Social structural theories of crime explain why individuals offend through notions of strain and social disorganization perspectives. It is important to consider how these explanations may be applicable for explaining male and female crime in different ways. Both males and females may experience strains, but the types of strains and how individuals react may vary. This is also true for the effect of neighborhood conditions on proclivity to offend, which may differentially affect males and females. While there are many explanations for why males generally commit more crime than females, it is necessary to consider how social structural theories account for the phenomena of female offending and contribute to policy initiatives that may be helpful in reducing crime among females.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.