University of Twente Student Theses
Gender, Stereotypes, and Justice: Public Perceptions of Male and Female Violent Offenders' Suitability for Restorative Justice and Rehabilitation
Klein, Joline (2025) Gender, Stereotypes, and Justice: Public Perceptions of Male and Female Violent Offenders' Suitability for Restorative Justice and Rehabilitation.
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| Abstract: | Although feminist criminological research has explored gender differences in public perceptions of violent offenders, little is known about how gender influences attitudes toward restorative justice. This study applied the "evil-women hypothesis" to restorative justice, suggesting that female violent offenders face harsher judgment for violating both legal and gender norms, making them seem less suitable for restorative justice (DV1) and less capable of rehabilitation (DV2). Using a between-subjects experimental design, German and Dutch citizens (N = 121) responded to a hypothetical armed robbery case involving either a male or female offender. Mediation analyses explored whether perceived gender stereotype violation explained less favourable attitudes towards female offenders. Findings partially supported the hypothesis: while the female offender was perceived to violate gender stereotypes more than the male offender, attitudes toward suitability for restorative justice and rehabilitation showed no significant differences by gender. These results suggest gender influences perceptions of violent offenders but does not shape public attitudes towards restorative justice among a predominantly liberal sample. Future research should explore whether these findings generalize across political contexts and how gender biases can be reduced in restorative justice practices. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/105300 |
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