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The gender gap in death penalty support: An exploratory study

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  • Cochran, John K.
  • Sanders, Beth A.

Abstract

One of the more enduring observations in the study of death penalty support within the United States is the strong divide between males and females. Men have consistently shown significantly higher levels of support for capital punishment than women. This divide between males and females has appeared in nearly every survey, over time, and across a variety of methodological designs. Using data from the cumulative (1972-2002) data file for the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) General Social Surveys, this study attempted to understand the basis for this gender gap. It examined gender differences in socioeconomic status, gender inequality, gender socialization, religion/religiosity, political ideology, positions on right-to-life and other social issues, fear of crime and victimization experience, experience with the criminal justice system, philosophies of punishment, and attribution styles. The findings revealed that the effect of gender on capital punishment support continued to be robust despite controlling for the effects of all of these explanations.

Suggested Citation

  • Cochran, John K. & Sanders, Beth A., 2009. "The gender gap in death penalty support: An exploratory study," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 525-533, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:37:y::i:6:p:525-533
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kimberly Bayard & Judith Hellerstein & David Neumark & Kenneth Troske, 2003. "New Evidence on Sex Segregation and Sex Differences in Wages from Matched Employee-Employer Data," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 21(4), pages 887-922, October.
    2. Cochran, John K. & Chamlin, Mitchell B., 2006. "The enduring racial divide in death penalty support," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 85-99.
    3. Johnson, Devon, 2008. "Racial prejudice, perceived injustice, and the Black-White gap in punitive attitudes," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 198-206, May.
    4. Applegate, Brandon K. & Cullen, Francis T. & Fisher, Bonnie S., 2002. "Public views toward crime and correctional policies: Is there a gender gap?," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 89-100.
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    1. Biggs, M. Antonia & Becker, Andréa & Schroeder, Rosalyn & Kaller, Shelly & Scott, Karen & Grossman, Daniel & Raifman, Sarah & Ralph, Lauren, 2024. "Support for criminalization of self-managed abortion (SMA): A national representative survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    2. Carlos Algara & Sam Fuller & Christopher Hare & Sara Kazemian, 2021. "The Interactive Effects of Scientific Knowledge and Gender on COVID‐19 Social Distancing Compliance," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(1), pages 7-16, January.
    3. Behnken, Monic P. & Caudill, Jonathan W. & Berg, Mark T. & Trulson, Chad R. & DeLisi, Matt, 2011. "Marked for Death: An Empirical Criminal Careers Analysis of Death Sentences in a Sample of Convicted Male Homicide Offenders," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 471-478.
    4. David Niven & Mallory Rock, 2024. "The prosecutor gender gap in Texas death penalty cases," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 105(3), pages 655-665, May.

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