Appearance and Delinquency: A Research Note

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Abstract
Culturally derived standards of attractiveness are used in determining the treatment women receive in various aspects of their lives, including the criminal justice system. Examination of the files from the California Youth Authority from the 1960s indicated that male intake personnel often commented on the physical attributes of the female wards. This was most likely to occur when the ward had at least one charge of “immorality” on her record. When more recent files were examined, notations on the physical attractiveness were least likely to occur when the wards had been committed to the institution for serious violations.