Evidence strongly suggests that most offenders are men. Attention has been focused on the concept of masculinity to explain this.
Messerschmidt: accomplishing masculinity
He argues that masculinity is an accomplishment. Something that men have to constantly work at constructing and presenting to others. In doing so, some men have more resources than others to draw upon.
- Hegemonic masculinity is the dominant form of masculinity and the one that most men wish to accomplish. It is defined through paid work, the ability to subordinate women and heterosexuality.
- Subordinate masculinities– some men, including man WC and EM men, lack the resources to accomplish hegemonic masculinity and therefore turn to crime. However, Messerschmitt notes that some MC men use crime to achieve hegemonic masculinity, but that in their case is white collar or corporate crime.