Systemic error: measuring gender in criminological research

ABSTRACT

This study examines how sex and gender are measured and operationalized in studies on criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) through content analysis of peer-reviewed journals. Despite that they are distinct and not always parallel, the terms sex and gender are often used interchangeably in CCJ research. Moreover, despite increasing recognition that gender-responsive practices are important at every stage of the criminal justice process, gender is almost exclusively measured as a male-female binary, miscategorizing and failing to properly account for those who do not fit in one of those gender identities. There are important implications for the safety of such individuals, as both victims and offenders throughout the criminal justice process, therefore it is essential that we more accurately measure gender in this field. Recommendations for improvement are addressed.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender
• methodology
• sex
• LGBTQ
• transgender

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank their excellent colleagues and anonymous peer reviewers for providing meaningful feedback on various drafts of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. GLAAD was created as an acronym for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, but the organization stopped using GLAAD as an acronym in 2013 to broaden its mission to include advocating for equality for transgender people.