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Gender and the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice System

NCJ Number
175913
Date Published
1997
Length
80 pages
Annotation
This report presents comparisons of males and females in Northern Ireland with respect to victimization, fear of crime, criminal behavior, types of offenses, sentencing, imprisonment, and employment in the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The discussion notes that males are more likely than females to be the victims of reported violent crimes. However, 81 percent of sex offenses have female victims, 90 percent of domestic assault incidents are reported by females, and 37 percent of violent crimes have female victims. In addition, females are also more fearful of crime than males across a range of indicators. Males represent 90 percent of the persons prosecuted annually and typically are prosecuted for more serious crimes than are females. Males are more likely to be convicted of violent or serious offenses; females are more often convicted of acquisitive crimes such as theft and shoplifting. About two-thirds of both males and females are sentenced to fines. Males are more likely than females to receive custodial sentences; females are more likely to receive community service and probation orders. Ninety-eight percent of the inmates in Northern Ireland are males; female inmates are more likely to be on remand than sentenced. Seventy-three percent of criminal justice system employees are males. Figures and tables