If you were to think of a famous serial killer or the subject of a true crime documentary, the chances are that a male character will come to mind – and for a good reason. Most criminals are male – overwhelmingly so.
According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, for example, less than 8 percent of prisoners are women. Australia is not an anomaly; across the world most crime, especially violent and sexual crime, is carried out by men. In fact, this gender disparity once led criminologists to wonder if the Y chromosome, which is only found in men, was in some way responsible for such radically antisocial behavior.
These days, however, the “men can’t help themselves” argument carries very little sway. Instead, researchers are looking at the importance of societal constructs and how differences in male and female life experiences may contribute to this trend.
It’s a ...
