Genders, Crime and Criminal Justice

Editors: Sandra Sicurella (University of Bologna, Italy) and Cirus Rinaldi (University of Palermo, Italy)

In 1975, Freda Adler published her groundbreaking book, Sisters in Crime: The Rise of the New Female Criminal. Adler, together with Rita Simon, Carol Smart, and Eileen Leonard started a new way of thinking in the field of criminology, incorporating the gender perspective into crime. Indeed, before the work of these four prominent women scholars, women’s involvement in the criminal justice system has been largely ignored. Therefore, almost fifty years ago a new way of criminological inquiry started, namely feminist criminology. It still continues to flourish today. With the emergence of the feminist perspective into criminology, the field could no longer ignore the impact of “genders” on criminal offending, victimization, and responses to crime. Gender became a lens through which to view crime and justice. More recent work has added the intersectionality point of view looking at race, class, sexual orientation, and gender identities as well as moving beyond binary views of femininity and masculinity.

Today, criminology can count on women scholars who are making plentiful and important contributions to the field. But despite all this progress, many (male) authors continue to underestimate and overlook the role played by gender in crime. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to provide a venue for the publication of new, cutting-edge, scholarship on the relationship between gender and crime. We are especially interested in the captivating ways scholars are demonstrating how the multifarious developments in gender and crime research have impacted the field of criminology in different parts of the planet—both the global North and South—and we will consider contributions highlighting any specific criminological theme, including:

  • Contemporary perspectives on gender and crime.
  • Comparative analyses on gender and crime.
  • Feminist criminology and new methodologies.
  • Empirical data on crime with a gender perspective.
  • The patterns of criminal behavior according to gender.
  • The criminal justice system from a gendered perspective.
  • The criminal justice system and policies in relation to gender.
  • Women’s experience in the criminal justice system.
  • Sociology and philosophy of criminal law in a gender perspective.
  • Law enforcement, gender and crime.
  • Theories on female criminality.
  • Reasons to explain criminal behavior in relation to gender.
  • Crime and criminal victimization.
  • The relationship between offending behavior and the victims.
  • Understanding the nature and impact of crime on women.
  • Women’s experiences as victims of crime.
  • Male criminal activity as a product of gender differences.
  • Masculinity, femininity, and crime.
  • The role of professionals in the criminal justice system.
  • Participation of women in criminal enterprises.
  • Technology, Gender and Crime.
  • Gender and risky lifestyles, white‑collar crime, and terrorism.
  • The role of race in shaping women’s criminality.
  • Prisons from a gender perspective. 
  • New theories, approaches, and methodologies on prisons. 
  • Women and men in confinement. 
  • The intersectionality perspective on gender and crime.
  • Intimate partner violence (IPV) among LGBTQI+ couples.
  • LGBTIQ+ individuals and the justice system.
  • Police, Criminalization and the LGBTQI+ community.
  • Non-binary and trans experiences within the justice system.
  • Gender and crime in media and popular culture.

Submission information

Please submit a title and short abstract (max. 500 words) in English that covers the importance of the research, methods, and any findings on the journal submission platform. We welcome contributions from any discipline in the social sciences and humanities. These are the important dates:

  • Deadline for sending abstracts: February 5th, 2025
  • Notification on abstract acceptance: February 15th, 2025
  • Deadline for full article submission: May 30th, 2025

Final papers must be between 6,000 and 10,000 words and written according to the journal's submission guidelines. All submitted papers will undergo editorial screening and peer review. Please contact any of the guest editors (sandra.sicurella2@unibo.it & cirus.rinaldi@unipa.it) if you have specific questions.

See “instructions for authors” on the journal website. All articles will be published in open access.