Abstract
The crime gender gap is the difference between the levels of participation of men and women in crime, with men responsible for more crime than women. Recent evidence suggests that the crime gender gap is closing, both in crime in general and in organized crime. However, organized crime differs from other forms of criminal activity in that it entails an organizational structure of cooperation among offenders. Assessing whether the gender gap in organized crime is narrowing is not only about the overall levels of involvement of women, but about their roles and positions within the organized criminal structure, because the involvement of women does not mean that they are in influential positions, or that they have power or access to resources important for the commission of organized crime. This paper uses a social network approach to systematically compare the structural positions of men and women in an organized criminal network. We use a dataset collected by Canadian Law Enforcement consisting of 1390 individuals known or suspected to be involved in organized crime, 185 of whom are women. Our analysis provides evidence for an ongoing gender gap in organized crime, with women occupying structural positions that are generally associated with a lack of power. Overall, women are less present in the network, tend to collaborate with other women rather than with men, and are more often in the disadvantageous position of being connected by male intermediaries. Implications for theory and law enforcement practice are discussed.
Highlights
The crime gender gap is the difference between the participation of men and women in crime, with men responsible for more crime than women
Statistical models for social networks allow us to show that in our specific case, we do not find evidence for the differences in the structural positions of women compared with men in organized crime, as apparent structural differences may be due to structural social processes that are not genderspecific and are not accounted for by simple descriptive network analysis
Further research is necessary in order to say whether our findings differ from previous research because of the use of our statistical models or because our case itself is different from other cases
Summary
The crime gender gap is the difference between the participation of men and women in crime, with men responsible for more crime than women. The gap between men’s and women’s participation in, and outcomes from, legal economic activity has narrowed in recent decades. This raises the question of whether similar trends are present in the illegal economy. Some studies explore the roles women play within organized crime groups, and the structural positions they hold [5] These studies point out specific activities and roles of women, but in order to be able to assess gender differences, it is necessary to point out the positions and roles of women, and systematically compare them to men. Statistical models for social networks go beyond description, allowing us to draw inferences about systematic differences between the roles that men and women play in organized crime
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