Changes in the Victimization of Women: Is There A “New Female Victim”?

Abstract

A debate emerging during the past decade considered the possible development of a “new female criminal.” Involved in this discussion is whether sex-role changes associated with the women's movement have contributed to this development. Lost in the debate is the possibility that these changes, regardless of their influence on female crime, may have affected women's risk of criminal victimization. To explore this possibility, data from the period 1973-1982 are reviewed for the crimes of robbery, personal larceny, assault, and homicide. A substantial increase in the proportion of female victimizations is found for robbery, along with a more modest gain for personal larceny. In contrast, the proportion of female victimizations involving violent crime is shown to be relatively stable. Reasons for this differential are discussed in terms of the dynamics of the two types of crimes (property/violent) and specific components of victimization theory.