NCJ Number
200924
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 31 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2003 Pages: 361-371
Editor(s)
Kent B. Joscelyn
Date Published
July 2003
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Using 1998 data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), this article examines the nature and context of violent offending by females, specifically the relationship between type of offense and type of offender group, violent offenses and offender groups, the use of weapons and offender groups, and racial composition and offender groups.
Abstract
Early research in understanding the female offender has neglected violent female offenders with the causes being grounded in gender stereotypes. What is known is primarily the result of research examining the typical female offender: young, nonviolent offender who is undereducated, a single mother, lacks useful and necessary job skills, and a person of color. This study examined the nature and prevalence of violent offending by females using National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data from 1998. The study examined the relationship between co-offending and type of offense, as well as the type of weapon(s) used during violent incidents, and the race of the perpetrators. NIBRS data were organized according to crime incident and permitted researchers to consider different characteristics of incidents. Results from the study suggest that consistent with prior literature, females are more likely to commit property crimes compared with drug crimes and violent crimes. In addition, results suggest that females are more likely to commit violent offenses by themselves. Females had a much higher involvement in drug and violent offenses when they were co-offending with males. Study limitations are presented and discussed. References