Media representations of violent women: exploring stock stereotypes and the denial of agency

TL;DRAbstract

This dissertation aims to critically examine the nature of press representations of women who kill and the extent to which they reinforce gender stereotypes by refusing to acknowledge female agency. Since the press is a pervasive tool which has been found to significantly impact upon the successful implementation of criminal justice policies, this is a particularly important area for study, with legal and media institutions frequently functioning together in their representations of criminal behaviour. The study included a structured literature review, the purpose of which was to outline the various narratives identified by previous researchers as being typically employed by the media to represent women who commit violent crimes. Subsequently, these motifs and stock stereotypes were used as a framework with which to analyse the press coverage surrounding nine cases of female perpetrated murder spanning a period of 130 years. The results support previous research which suggests that rep

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