Bad Criminal, Worse Mom: Public Perceptions of Pregnancy, Motherhood, and Crime

Abstract

Using a vignette-style survey of American adults, this paper examines how parental status influences perceptions of women offenders’ character and deserved sentencing. Findings show emotional responses to mothers engaged in violent crime differ based on respondent gender and parental status. Offenders’ parental status also impacted perceptions of character, such as being an “un-fit” parent. Lastly, parental status impacted sentencing recommendations for violent crime, with pregnant women being significantly less likely to be referred to incarceration. The results highlight the need for further research to disentangle the impact of gender, parenthood, and expectant parenthood on people involved in the criminal justice system.