Answer

Concepts of Mutuality and Empathy in Female Offending

Q1.

Mutuality implies that each person in a relationship can express their sentiments, opinions, and knowledge and can both move with and be moved by these aspects from another person. According to Voorhis and Sansbury (2016), any person in a relationship can alter and move forward because of mutual connections and mutual responsiveness. On the other hand, empathy is considered a compact, highly advanced capability with another at a cognitive and affective level without losing connection with one’s personal encounters. An empathic individual perceives subjectively authentic relationships and feels they can recognize and understand others (Voorhis & Sansbury, 2016). A growth nurturing relationship requires mutual empathy, which necessitates that both parties have the ability to connect empathically. This paper explains the concepts of mutuality and empathy and elaborates how these terms are relevant to female offending behavior. Moreover, the paper discusses three pathways to female offending. Mutuality and empathy are considered essential for women. Women’s psychological issues can be traced to disconnection or violation within relationships, either in families, personal acquaintances or in the community.

According to Voorhis and Sansbury (2016), mutuality and empathy often empower women not with power over others, but rather power with others. In traditional relations, a person or a group of individuals is often dominant, and other subordinates, or an individual or group, are assigned the task of fostering others’ psychological development. History researchers indicated that women had been assigned the task of fostering others’ psychological development, including men and children. By contrast, in mutuality empowering relationships, every individual develops in strength and power. Women offending become more able to share power for constructive, creative ends. Voorhis and Sansbury (2016) indicate that the three concepts in mutuality and empathy include cultural context, relationships, and pathways to grow.

Cultural context recognizes the powerful influence of the cultural context in female offender’s lives. Relationships center on the significance of relationships as the main organizing feature in women’s growth. According to Farmer (2019), traditional growth models emphasize independence and autonomy. The relationship concept centers on the female offender’s connection with others. The pathway to grow is a concept that acknowledges female offender’s relational qualities and activities as potential abilities that provide pathways to healthy development and growth. In traditional theory, female offender’s ability to express feelings more freely, and attention to relationships, often leads to pathologizing them. However, mutual and empathic, and empowering relations produce five psychological outcomes for female offenders. These include enhanced zest and vitality, empowerment to act, knowledge of self and others, self-growth, and a desire for more connections (Voorhis & Sansbury, 2016). These outcomes constitute psychological growth for women. Thus, mutuality, empathy, and power with others are essential qualities of an environment that fosters women’s growth to reduce women’s crimes.

Women’s Pathways to Crime

Women often engage in crime due to their past experiences. Empirical studies indicate that economic marginalization, victimization, and substance abuse disproportionately influence women and play a significant role in shaping female criminality (Farmer, 2019). One of the most common tenets of feminist criminology is the relation, or blurred borders, between women’s victimization and offending. Farmer (2019) indicates that child abuse is linked directly to subsequent delinquency, addiction, and criminality.  Most female offenders have histories of physical and sexual abuse, and adult intimate partner abuse rates are much higher than for women in the general population or males in prison. Not only is victimization more popular among female offenders, but abuse has also been identified to start earlier and last longer thus, further contributing to subsequent offending.

Victimization may be a significant aspect of women’s pathway to crime. However, it is not the only aspect of female criminality. Economic marginalization also plays a significant role in shaping women’s initiation and persistence in crime. Farmer (2019) indicates that most of the paths indicate deprived economic status as a significant aspect. Some studies indicate that many female offenders are minorities who come from economically distressed communities, which offer few employment opportunities. Thus, women’s structural circumstances and increasing economic pressure force many women to participate in illegal activities for survival. Substance use is another significant pathway to women’s crime. According to Farmer (2019), women who use substances are more likely to be engaged in criminal activities. Other studies indicate that most women use drugs to avoid the pain of abuse. Once addicted, they are less likely to participate in legitimate businesses and more likely to engage in illegal activities to generate money to buy drugs.

Conclusively, various pathways lead to female criminology, including victimization, drug abuse, and economic marginalization. Female offenders often use empathy and mutuality to overcome their experiences and change to better individuals. The concepts of mutuality and empathy include cultural context, relationships, and growth pathways.