Patterns of criminal offending by gender

Key statistics on male offending

Men are significantly over-represented in criminal convictions and imprisonment:

Male crime statistics:

• Approximately 88% of offenders found guilty or cautioned for violent crime are male.
• Around 89–90% of convicted murderers are men.
• At least one third of men have been convicted of a criminal offence before the age of 35.
• In 2016, 95% of prisoners in British prisons were male (meaning only 5% were female).

Key statistics on female offending

While female offending rates are lower overall, they have shown notable trends:

Female crime statistics:

• The number of female offenders has risen faster than male offenders since 1958, though female convictions have been falling more quickly in the past decade.
• The proportion of convictions that are for females is now at its lowest ever recorded level.
• Only 8% of women have been convicted of a criminal offence before the age of 35, compared with one third of men.
• Sociologist Pountney's research highlights that female offenders are more likely than male offenders to be claiming benefits. This suggests that deprivation may influence women's criminality more strongly than men's.

Patterns of victimisation by gender

Overall victimisation rates and concerns

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) shows that current rates of victimisation are very similar between men and women. However, differences emerge in specific areas:

Key findings on victimisation:

• Women worry more about becoming victims of crime compared with men.
• Young men aged 16–24 are the group most at risk of being victims of crime, especially violent crime.
• The Islington Crime Survey (ICS) found that women often impose a curfew on their activities. Over half of the women in the sample never went out after dark because they feared becoming victims of sexual crime.

Gender differences in types of victimisation

Men and women face different risks depending on the crime type:

Victimisation patterns by gender:

• Females are more likely than males to be victims of sexual and domestic violence.
• Females are more likely to be murdered by a husband or boyfriend.
• Males are more likely to be murdered by strangers.
• Two thirds of homicide victims in the UK are male.
• The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) estimates that nine out of ten rapes go unreported. Victims often believe the criminal justice system will not help them.

Factors contributing to repeat victimisation in domestic violence

Female victims of domestic violence are often repeat victims because escaping abusive situations can be challenging:

Barriers to leaving abusive relationships:

• Lack of economic independence.
• Shortage of safe shelters due to austerity cuts.
• Difficulties in leaving if the victim has very young children.