NCJ Number
125734
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 68 Issue: 1 Dated: (September 1989) Pages: 262-283
Date Published
1989
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Using INTERPOL arrest data from 69 countries, the report analyzes the direct and indirect effects of development on female percentage of arrests (FP/A) from the perspectives of gender equality, female economic marginality, opportunity for traditional female consumer crime, and formalization of social control. The multiple regression techniques and path analysis reveal that factors dealing with relative social and economic status of women, gender equality and female economic marginality are poor predictors of FP/A, whereas the consumer crime opportunity and social control variables are fairly good predictors of FP/A. These findings do not support the traditional gender-equality crime hypothesis. However, the results suggest that the effects of development on female crime are inconsistent across nations and across most offenses and that development affects cross-national differences in percentage of arrests through greater crime opportunity and formalization of social control that enhances the likelihood of official sanctioning of female offenders. A multivariate model is needed to explain cross-national variation in the FP/A. 47 references, 3 figures, and 4 tables. (Author abstract modified)