Victim Gender, Offender Gender, Seeking Professional Help, and the Reporting of Violent Crime

• In Event: Factors Impacting the Reporting Victimization to Officials and their Outcomes

Abstract

Whether a crime victim seeks help, including calling the police, depends on factors about the crime, the offender, the victim, and the context. The gender of the offender and the gender of the victim are among the most important of these factors. Using National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data from 1993-2015, this study examines the interaction effect of offender’s and victim’s gender on help-seeking behaviors of violent crime victims for four different violent crimes: rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Additionally, it also examines other relevant factors (e.g., victim-offender relationship). Broadening the theoretical scope of previous literature, this study also tests prior theories on victim help-seeking. Theories about gender identities and norms help to frame victims’ help-seeking behaviors because concepts like “doing gender” are applicable to female and male victims. Alternatively, other theories offer competing hypotheses that connect victim help-seeking behaviors to the extent a crime or victimization fits socially constructed stereotypes of crime and victimization (e.g., sexual assaults and rape myths). Initial results support hypotheses related to gender identities and norms.

Authors

• Keith Lee Hullenaar, Pennsylvania State University

• Barry Ruback, Pennsylvania State University