An Examination of the Covariates of Female Homicide Victimization and Offending

Abstract

This study examines and compares the covariates of female homicide offending and victimization in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Newark, New Jersey. Four research questions are examined: (a) What individual and structural factors differentiate female and male victimization? (b) Are there individual and structural factors that differentiate female and male offending? (c) Do the covariates of female involvement in lethal acts differ by location as compared to male offending and victimization? and (d) Do the covariates of female offending and victimization differ? Similar to previous research, the findings suggest that female homicide offending and victimization have similar covariates, although some distinct patterns emerged pertaining to the social structural covariates of offending and victimization. Specifically, homicides involving female actors were more likely to occur in Indianapolis than in Newark. The implications of these findings for policy and research are discussed.