VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS (FROM PERSPECTIVES ON VICTIMOLOGY, 1979, BY WILLIAM H PARSONAGE - SEE NCJ-62462)

• NCJ Number: 62467
• Author(s): V D YOUNG
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-SS-99-6029
• Sponsoring Agency: National Criminal Justice Information & Statistics Service
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REVISION OF A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY, (1978)

Annotation

THE RELATION BETWEEN THE FEMALE OFFENDER AND HER VICTIM IS EXAMINED USING NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY (NCS) DATA.

Abstract

THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT WAS THE NCS'S VICTIM SURVEYS FOR A RANGE OF OFFENSES. THE SEX, AGE, RACE, AND INTERPERSONAL RELATION OF THE VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS WERE EXAMINED AS WELL AS THE INTRA-AGE AND INTRARACIAL NATURE OF THE VICTIMIZATIONS INVOLVING FEMALE OFFENDERS. RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS REPORTED IN OTHER SOURCES AND WITH CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTIMS OF MALE OFFENDERS. VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS WERE FOUND TO BE YOUNG (15 TO 23) FEMALES. RATE OF VICTIMIZATION DIFFERED LITTLE BY THE VICTIM'S RACE. VICTIMS OF LONE OFFENDER VICTIMIZATIONS WERE OFTEN NONSTRANGERS, BUT THE OPPOSITE WAS TRUE FOR VICTIMS OF MULTIPLE OFFENDERS. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS, EXCEPT THE SEX OF THE VICTIM, DIFFERED ACROSS OFFENSE CATEGORIES. IN ASSAULTIVE VIOLENCE WITHOUT THEFT, THE VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS WERE GENERALLY YOUNG AND NONSTRANGERS, BUT IN PERSONAL THEFT WITHOUT INJURY, VICTIMS WERE OLDER AND STRANGERS. THE RACE OF THE VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS IN ASSAULTIVE VIOLENCE WITHOUT THEFT WAS MORE OFTEN BLACK BUT USUALLY IN INTERACTION WITH A BLACK OFFENDER. FEMALES DO NOT FOLLOW THE SAME PATTERNS OF VICTIMIZING AS MALES, BECAUSE VICTIMS OF MALE OFFENDERS WERE USUALLY YOUNG (16-24), BLACK, MALE STRANGERS. THE DATA ALSO SHOWED THAT THE SEX OF THE OFFENDER HAD LITTLE INFLUENCE AND THAT THE VICTIMS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS WERE MORE OFTEN NONSTRANGERS THAN WERE THE VICTIMS OF MALE OFFENDERS. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE VICTIM-OFFENDER RELATION OF FEMALE OFFENDERS IS SUFFICIENTLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF MALE OFFENDERS TO NECESSITATE INDEPENDENT CONSIDERATION AND THAT THERE IS A NEED TO STUDY FEMALE CRIME SYSTEMATICALLY. NOTES, REFERENCES, AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. THE ARTICLE IS A REVISED VERSION OF A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY (1978). (MJW)