Gender Disparities in Crime: Statistics & Factors

1. Crime and gender

2. The Statistics • Males commit most crime – 4 in 5 offenders are male • Men outnumber women in all major crime categories • 85 – 95% of those found guilty of burglary, robbery, drug offences, criminal damage and violence are male • 98% of sexual offences are committed by males • Theft is the most commonly committed offence by both men and women

3. The Statistics (contd) • 57% of female offenders found guilty or cautioned for theft / handling of stolen goods compared with 34% of men • Men are four times more likely to be the victims of violent crime than women. • Domestic violence is the only category where the risk is higher for women than men.

6. Why? • Opportunity for crime • Primary and secondary socialisation • Policing / judicial System • Social visibility / lifestyle factors

7. Opportunity for crime • Women are involved in a wide range of crime • Where women have similar opportunities for crime as men, the pattern of crimes they commit are broadly similar • Where opportunities are similar, women are just as likely to offend as men • It is when the opportunities for crime are different that the pattern of offending is different, e.g.…….

8. Different opportunities, different crime • Burglary tends to be solitary and at night. Lone women at night more likely to draw attention / prone to danger • Work – related opportunities: • Fewer women work than men • Fewer are in powerful positions (white collar crime) • More likely to be closely scrutinised • Women more likely to have child care responsibilities

9. Primary / secondary socialisation • Males ‘prompted’ to be more aggressive than females. Females ‘prompted’ to be non-aggressive. • Peer culture: boys – gangs, ‘street’, girls ‘indoors’ • Male socialisation encourages active individualistic behaviour. Female, passive, sharing/ caring • Expectations on male as “breadwinner” and females as “carers” • Serious organised crime – offenders likely to view women in stereotypical way – emotional, illogical etc.

10. Police and courts • The self-fulfilling prophecy: police ‘expect’ males to commit more crime so police them more closely therefore detecting more crime • Men more likely to be on the street at night so attracting more police attention • Police and courts stereotype male/ female roles therefore less likely to punish females – the “chivalry factor” • Police and judiciary are still male dominated. See female crime as ‘symptom’ of women needing help rather than punishment • Much female crime is petty / non-violent (shoplifting / prostitution)

11. Social Visibility / lifestyle • Women are far more likely to be victims of ‘unseen’ crimes – domestic violence • Male crimes often involve a clear victim and therefore more likely to be witnessed • Men are more likely to be out at night and more likely to abuse drugs / alcohol often leading to crime