Crime Victims, Female

Women are victims of all forms of crime, but domestic violence-including sexual and physical violence-is responsible for about one-quarter of all incidents. Both women and men can be victims of domestic violence, but the most common scenario involves violence by men against a female partner or ex-partner. In addition, the crimes that are committed against women in public are often related to a female's perceived sexualized identity as “other,” or as lesser beings than men. Criminal justice systems (e.g., the police and the courts) do not always respond appropriately to crimes against women. Grassroots groups and feminist academics have challenged the responses to crimes against women not just from the criminal justice system but also from the media and criminologists. The challenge is in determining ...