A Preliminary Study of Gender Differences in Death Penalty Views of College Students From Bangladesh, China, Nigeria, and the United States

This study examined whether there were any gender differences among college students in Bangladesh (N = 258), China (N = 524), Nigeria (N = 274), and the United States (N = 484) in death penalty support and belief in the criminological ideologies (retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, morality, life without parole, and innocence) to support or oppose it. No significant gender difference between men and women in the overall level of death penalty support was observed except in the United States. In addition, although there were some gender-based differences in reasons to support or oppose the death penalty, the differences were not as common and only rarely as pronounced as in the United States. The findings indicate that the gender gap in capital punishment views may be limited to the United States.