NCJ Number
146263
Journal
Social Science Quarterly Volume: 74 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1993) Pages: 28- 45
Date Published
1993
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Violent crime against women has emerged during the past two decades as an issue of serious social concern; this study attempted to put female victimization trends in perspective by comparing violent crime victimization rates of men and women and by looking at female victimization rates by age group.
Abstract
Violent crimes analyzed in the study included aggravated assault, simple assault, robbery, and rape. Data were obtained from National Crime Surveys (1973-1989) and from Vital Statistics of the United States (1973-1988). For most crimes, females represented a larger proportion of the victim population by the late 1980's than they did during the 1970's. Data analysis revealed, however, that female victimization did not increase; rather, a substantial reduction in male victimization rates led to a greater percentage of female victims. It was determined that the overall probability of women experiencing violent incidents in 1989 was about the same or even slightly less than it was in the early to mid-1970's but that the probability of more women being victimized in the 1990's is greater than before. A downward trend in rape victimization rates was observed over the study period. Victimization trends for younger and older women were relatively similar; young women experienced stable or decreased victimization rates. 35 references and 3 tables