When the criminal justice system was created, the main goal was to create gender neutrality and equity. Although people may believe that there are no “stereotypes” in the criminal justice system, it is clear that women are constantly looked down upon because of their gender. In general, women tend to be treated as fragile objects that can break at any time; the truth is that women can be strong and courageous just like men. Society stereotypes women and the criminal justice system is no different. Throughout history, certain crimes have been separated into different categories based on their prevalence. For each crime, the offense and charge are different. Additionally, not all crimes are committed by the same sex. Crimes such as theft, fraud, forgery, and prostitution (Chesney-Lind, 1986) tend to be committed more often by women; while assaults, murders, trafficking, etc. tend to be committed by men. Regarding stereotypes of women in the criminal justice system, one could say that women present themselves as victims to get a lesser sentence or that by presenting themselves as victims they will receive a longer sentence which will protect them. Statistical evidence has shown that women actually receive lighter and longer sentences when convicted of crimes similar to those of men; such as drug-related offenses (Coughenour, 1995). Criminologists offer different theories explaining the differences between the treatment of men and women in the criminal justice system. One of the known theories expressed by the male counterpart that makes up the criminal justice system is “chivalry”. By definition, “chivalry” is the protection of women. This term starts...... middle of paper ......t like me. At the same time, by being the weak link, women have a certain advantage over men which could work in their favor depending on the situation. Works Cited Anderson, EA (1976). The “chivalrous” treatment of female offenders in the arms of the criminal justice system: A review of the literature. Social Problems, 23(3), 350-357Coughenour, J. Separate and Unequal: Women in the Federal Criminal Justice System. JSTOR. Np, and Web. March 15, 2014 Chesney-Lind, M. (1986). Women and crime: the delinquent. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 12(1), 78. Moulds, E. F. (1978). Chivalry and paternalism: disparities in treatment in the criminal justice system. Political Research Quarterly, 31(3), 416-430. The Sentencing Project: Research and Advocacy for Reform. (2007) Women in the criminal justice system: fact sheets.