Gender Gap in Violent Victimization, 1973-2004

• NCJ Number: 222609
• Journal: Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 24 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2008 Pages: 125-147
• Author(s): Janet L. Lauritsen; Karen Heimer
• Date Published: June 2008
• Length: 23 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Data from America's National Crime Surveys (NCS) and National Crime Victimization Surveys (NCVS) were used to determine long-term trends in male and female violent victimization for 1973-2004.

Abstract

The findings show that the risks for robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault have declined substantially for both males and females since the early 1970s. The declines in robbery and aggravated assault against males started before the decreases of the 1990s, and the decline in various forms of violence against females did not begin until approximately 1993 or 1994. The gender gap in homicide or robbery victimization has remained relatively stable over time; however, the gender gap has closed for aggravated and simple assault victimization, because male rates of victimization have declined more than female rates. When violent events were disaggregated according to whether they had been committed by strangers or nonstrangers, little change was found in the gender gaps for stranger or nonstranger homicide or robbery. When aggravated and simple assault was similarly disaggregated, the gender gap had closed to varying degrees for stranger and nonstranger aggravated assaults and nonstranger simple assaults. Where the gender gap is apparently closing, it results from proportionately greater declines in male victimization. Regarding intimate partner violence, female rates of lethal and nonlethal victimization have been consistently higher than male rates over the past 25 years; however, the patterns of lethal and nonlethal victimization differ. Although the gender rate ratio of intimate partner homicide has grown over time, the gender rate ratio of nonlethal intimate partner violence has started to decline in recent years, as female rates have shown greater decreases than are detected in the male rates. In addition to data from the NCS and NCVS for the period under study, relevant data were also obtained from the Supplementary Homicide Report. 14 figures and 42 references