Women's Criminality: From Individual Deviance to Psychological and Social Interpretation of Criminal Phenomenon

Abstract

Criminal phenomena have seen substantial alterations over the last several decades, influencing many forms of crime and associated social players. They are no longer confined to males as ancient works described; rather, women have emerged as significant protagonists in the production of specific criminal forms, whether traditional, contemporary, or connected to digital, economic, and social advancements that have touched numerous sectors.

This significant transformation has led to a reconsideration of the explanations that linked women's criminality to biological or individual psychological factors, shifting toward more comprehensive psychological and sociological approaches that connect crime to social structure, socialization, value transformations, and more.

The study of women's criminality does not aim solely to understand the individual behaviour of the deviant but seeks to analyse the various social contexts that give rise to this behaviour, especially in light of the transformations experienced by Algerian families, the changing functional roles within them and in society as well, and the widening circle of marginalization, poverty, and both symbolic and material violence. It has become vital to go beyond the reductionist paradigm that regards the female criminal as an uncommon or aberrant instance.

This study belongs to the field of social studies concerned with the phenomena of crime and delinquency in general, and specifically seeks to uncover a set of factors that explain the tendency of females, being one of the most sensitive social groups, toward the world of crime and the trend toward a psychological and sociological interpretation that links crime to the social structure and the imbalanced relationships in society. The research begins with a basic issue: What are the primary reasons that lead women into criminal behaviour?

The research gives specific emphasis to the role of social and family upbringing in developing this behaviour, giving light on the characteristics of the phenomena and seeking to explain it within the Algerian social and cultural environment.