Criminal Processing and Courtroom Construction of Infanticidal Parents

这个博士论文改进项目系统地探讨了有关性别在刑事处理和社会法律解释的儿童攻击和父母犯下的杀人罪的作用的问题和假设。 对定量和定性数据的分析确定了对这些罪行的处理是不分性别的，对妇女更宽容还是对男子更宽容。 该研究分为两个密切相关的子项目。 第一个项目分析了一个大城市管辖区的地区检察官办公室起诉的儿童袭击和杀人案件的两年样本数据。 将使用回归和逻辑回归统计技术来检验在辩诉交易和判刑方面是否存在性别差异，同时控制法律的和社会人口因素。第二个项目分析来自法庭观察、访谈和审判记录的数据，以确定被控殴打和/或杀害子女的父母的社会结构。 这两个项目都研究了性别、阶级和种族的文化偏见在多大程度上进入了法律的过程和话语，这项研究有助于关于正义和性别的辩论。 定量研究的结果将加强现有的研究法律的待遇的女罪犯，表明是否有性别差异的处理结果的犯罪密切相关的性别角色。 定性研究的结果探讨了法律的话语围绕性别类别组织的程度。 通过评估关于妇女在法律上“平等”或“不同”待遇的辩论中的关键问题，这项研究将有助于更清楚地了解正式法律的程序与有关各方的社会特征之间的关系。

This Doctoral Dissertation Improvement project systematically explores questions and hypotheses regarding the role of gender in the criminal processing and socio-legal interpretation of child assaults and homicides committed by parents. Analyses of both quantitative and qualitative data ascertain whether the treatment of these offenses is gender-neutral, more lenient for women or more lenient for men. The study is partitioned into two closely related sub-projects. The first project analyzes data from a two-year sample of child assaults and homicides prosecuted by the District Attorneys Office of a large urban jurisdiction. Regression and logistic regression statistical techniques will be used to test whether there are gender differences in plea-bargaining and sentencing, controlling for legal and socio-demographic factors. The second project analyzes data from courtroom observations, interviews and trial transcripts to ascertain the social constructions of mother and fathers accused of assaulting and/or killing their children. Both projects examine the extent to which cultural preconceptions of gender, class and race enter into legal processes and discourses.This research contributes to debates about justice and gender. Outcomes from the quantitative research will enhance existing research on the legal treatment of criminal women, demonstrating whether there are gender differences in the processing outcomes of crimes closely tied to gender roles. Results from the qualitative research explore the degree to which legal discourses are organized around gender categories. By assessing pivotal issues in the debates regarding "equal" or "different" treatment of women under the law, this research will assist in providing a clearer understanding of the relationship between formal legal processes and the social characteristics of the parties involved.