Gender Bias on Prisoners

The persistent belief that women are too emotional often implies that their feelings make them volatile or irrational. However, global crime data tells a fundamentally different story about which gender struggles most with dangerous, volatile impulses. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), men commit roughly 90% of all homicides globally and are responsible for the vast majority of violent offences. Because actions like assault and murder are almost always born out of extreme emotional states such as rage, jealousy, and malice, these statistics show that catastrophic lapses in emotional control are overwhelmingly a male phenomenon.

This disparity stems from a societal double standard regarding how emotions are defined and judged. When women express sadness, anxiety, or empathy, it is quickly labelled as emotional instability. Meanwhile, masculine emotional expressions like fury, hostility, and aggression are often dismissed as normal behavior or simple biological drives. By failing to categorise destructive rage as an emotional response, society overlooks the reality that acting on these specific emotions causes severe harm to communities worldwide.

Redefining our understanding of what it means to be emotional is essential for creating a safer and more balanced world. Experiencing intense feelings is a natural part of human life, but letting those feelings escalate into physical violence represents a profound failure of self-regulation. By challenging the myth of the “overly emotional woman”, we can shift the conversation toward teaching better emotional regulation and accountability for everyone, regardless of gender.