Research by feminists, such as Pat Carlen, has shown that being a ‘good mother’ can affect judicial decisions. In the Nixzmary Brown case, Nixzmary’s mother received a longer sentence than Cesar Rodriguez, her stepfather, who killed her. In the report on the case, the Metro New York raises the question ‘of whether mothers should be held to a higher standard than fathers’? Discuss this in relation to child abuse and consider how much we expect women, especially those who are mothers, to conform to certain forms of behavior?