Church going played an important part in the lives of many women. Women were largely excluded from the administration of the Kirk, but when heads of households voted on the appointment of a new minister some parishes allowed women in that position to participate. In the post-Reformation period there was a criminalisation of women. Women were disciplined in kirk sessions and civil courts for stereotypical offences including scolding and prostitution, which were seen as deviant, rather than criminal. These changing attitudes may partly explain the witch hunts that occurred after the Reformation and in which women were the largest group of victims.