Gender, Victimization, and Offending: an Event-Study Design

• In Event: EDLC: capita selecta

Abstract

The link between victimization and offending is widely acknowledged in criminology, yet important questions remain unanswered. First, much existing research focuses on male populations, leaving a gap in our understanding of how this relationship varies by sex. Studies that include both genders are inconclusive - some find a positive association between victimization and offending only among males, while others suggest it is similar for both genders. Second, previous research has primarily relied on self-report data and focused on adolescence. Finally, due to a lack of high-quality micro-level victimization data, earlier studies have not adequately addressed key methodological challenges, such as reverse temporal ordering and selection bias. In this paper, I continue advance this line of research by utilizing high-quality Norwegian register data on victimization and criminal charges. Taking a life course view, I conceptualize victimization as a potential turning point that may alter an individual’s criminal trajectory. By employing event study designs with two-way fixed effects, I investigate the gendered effects of victimization on offending among Norwegians (ages 15-50). This methodological approach enables me to better address these challenges and move closer toward establishing a causal understanding of the victimization–offending relationship.

Author

• Benedicte Nordahl Berntsen, Norwegian Police University College