Items related to When She Was Bad : Violent Women and the Myth of Innocence
Our culture believes that women are not naturally aggressive. And yet, every day evidence proves otherwise: women kill their children, their husbands, their lovers, and their lovers' mistresses. Women join their lovers in torture and killings, women are psychopaths, women are terrorists and violent criminals. In this highly provocative book, Patricia Pearson demonstrates over and over again that the idea (ideal?) of female innocence is pure myth. She argues that the two main culprits of the tendency to overlook extreme behaviour in women are feminists who have claimed victimhood for women and male society which finds it impossible to see women as powerful. Weaving the stories of violent women - from Myra Hindley and Rose West, from a mother who smothered eight of her children, from nurses who murdered their infant charges, to husband beaters - with the findings of criminologists, anthropologists and psychiatrists, Patricia Pearson makes a compelling case for redefining the debate about female violence and power.
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"Women commit the majority of child homicides in the United States; more than 80 percent of neonaticides; an equal or greater share of severe physical child abuse; an equal rate of spousal assault; about a quarter of child sexual molestations; and a large proportion of elder abuse... The rate at which infants are murdered by women in the U.S. is higher than the rate at which women are murdered by men." With carefully researched facts, fascinating case histories, and incisive argument, Patricia Pearson succeeds in demolishing the myth that women are not naturally violent. When She Was Bad considers two different issues: (1) how we see violent women--that we either excuse their behavior with a "syndrome defense" such as battered woman syndrome, or else see them as the passive partners of violent men; (2) how we see aggression itself--that we perceive it as physical and blatant, thus missing the ways in which women more commonly use verbal assaults and indirect strategies. Ultimately, Pearson argues, the failure of women to take responsibility for their violent behavior undermines the good that can come from aggressiveness, and sabotages the credibility of female police officers and soldiers.
From the Inside Flap:
In this provocative book, award-winning journalist Patricia Pearson argues that our culture is in denial of women's innate capacity for aggression. We don't believe that women batter their husbands or abuse the majority of children in North America. We ignore the 200 percent increase in crime by women in a period when most crime statistics are dropping. Pearson weaves the stories of women such as Karla Homolka and Mary Beth Tinning (who smothered eight of her children) with the results of criminologists and psychiatrists to expose the myth of female innocence.
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- PublisherVirago
- Publication date1999
- ISBN 10 1860495524
- ISBN 13 9781860495526
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages304
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. When She Was Bad: Violent Women and the Myth of Innocence This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9781860495526
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9781860495526
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When She Was Bad: Violent Women and the Myth of Innocence
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Virago Press Ltd
(1999)
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When She Was Bad: Violent Women and the Myth of Innocence
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When She Was Bad: Violent Women and the Myth of Innocence
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(1999)
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Our culture believes that women are not naturally aggressive. And yet, every day evidence proves otherwise: women kill their children, their husbands, their lovers, and their lovers' mistresses. Women join their lovers in torture and killings, women are psychopaths, women are terrorists and violent criminals. In this highly provocative book, Patricia Pearson demonstrates over and over again that the idea (ideal?) of female innocence is pure myth. She argues that the two main culprits of the tendency to overlook extreme behaviour in women are feminists who have claimed victimhood for women and male society which finds it impossible to see women as powerful. Weaving the stories of violent women - from Myra Hindley and Rose West, from a mother who smothered eight of her children, from nurses who murdered their infant charges, to husband beaters - with the findings of criminologists, anthropologists and psychiatrists, Patricia Pearson makes a compelling case for redefining the debate about female violence and power. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR001157965
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