SEX DIFFERENCES IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

• NCJ Number: 65909
• Journal: Social Problems Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: (DECEMBER 1979) Pages: 143-156
• Author(s): M J HINDELANG
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Soc for the Study of Social Problems
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services; Institute for Scientific Information
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE STUDY EXAMINED NATIONAL VICTIMIZATION SURVEY DATA FOR THE YEARS 1972 TO 1976 TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY AGREE WITH UNIFORM CRIME REPORT ARREST DATA REGARDING THE OFFENDER'S SEX.

Abstract

THE DATA EXAMINED WERE DERIVED FROM THE NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY (NCS) UNDERTAKEN BY THE U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS. THE NCS HAS TWO PARTS, A NATIONAL PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF HOUSEHOLDS (AND INDIVIDUALS) AND A NATIONAL PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF BUSINESSES. FOR INCIDENTS IN WHICH A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER OR A BUSINESS EMPLOYEE HAD BEEN PRESENT WHEN AN OFFENSE OCCURRED, RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OFFENDER(S), INCLUDING THE NUMBER OF OFFENDERS INVOLVED AND THE SEX AND RACE OF THE OFFENDER. EACH INCIDENT REPORTED TO SURVEY INTERVIEWERS WAS WEIGHTED BY THE NUMBER OF OFFENDERS INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. INCIDENTS IN WHICH THE NUMBER OF OFFENDERS WAS UNKNOWN OR NOT ASCERTAINED, OR IN WHICH THERE WAS A GROUP OF OFFENDERS INCLUDING BOTH MALES AND FEMALES, WERE EXCLUDED FROM ANALYSIS. STUDY RESULTS SHOW THAT COMMON LAW CRIMES, INCLUDING BOTH THE PERSONAL CRIMES OF RAPE, ROBBERY, ASSAULT, AND PERSONAL LARCENY, AND THE HOUSEHOLD CRIMES OF BURGLARY, LARCENY, AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT PARALLEL ARREST DATA IN SHOWING A MUCH GREATER PROPORTION OF MALE INVOLVEMENT. EXCEPT FOR A RECENT SLIGHT INCREASE IN FEMALE INVOLVEMENT FOR LARCENY, THERE APPEARS TO BE NO SYSTEMATIC CHANGE IN THE PROPORTIONATE INVOLVEMENT OF FEMALES ACROSS THE FEW YEARS OF VICTIMIZATION DATA NOW AVAILABLE. VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDER CRIMES REPORTED THEM LESS OFTEN TO THE POLICE THAN DID VICTIMS OF MALE OFFENDER CRIMES. HOWEVER, THE LATTER CRIMES USUALLY ARE MORE SERIOUS AND MALE OFFENDERS DOMINATE COMMERCIAL ROBBERY, A CRIME ALMOST ALWAYS REPORTED. THE CHIVALRY HYPOTHESIS-THAT MALE VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS ARE RELUCTANT TO REPORT FEMALE OFFENDER CRIMES TO THE POLICE--WAS NOT SUPPORTED. OVERALL, THE RESULTS SUBSTANTIATE THE ARGUMENT THAT SEX IS AN IMPORTANT NONARTIFACTUAL CORRELATE OF INVOLVEMENT CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. FOOTNOTES, TABLES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--PRG)