Journal of Family Violence

, Volume 6, Issue 2, pp 199–216 | Cite as

The reduction of violent crime through economic equality for women

  • Jim Hackler
Article

Abstract

Normally we do not link the reduction of violent crime with equal rights for women, this paper traces such a linkage. Central to the logic of this argument is that the distribution of the frequency of violent crime is often described by a bimodal curve which supposedly distinguishes between minor, unimportant offenders and a distinct group of serious offenders: the target for many policies being the latter. In fact, this bimodal distribution does not exist; therefore, policies based on it will be fruitless. The larger group of minor offenders is basically ignored. The distribution of violence is better described as a continuous skewed curve which retains its shape. Thus, an effective policy to reduce violence would have to shift the entire curve to the left. Reducing the more numerous acts of lesser violence rather than concentrating on the rarer cases of extreme violence would be more effective. Since much violence is nurtured in family settings, policies that decrease stress in family settings would have a meaningful impact on future violence. Stress could be reduced with greater economic equality for women, making it possible for them to leave potentially violent domestic settings. In the long term this would have an impact on violent crime.

Key words

crime prevention violent crime women's rights crime prevention policy family violence domestic violence 
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Copyright information

© Plenum Publishing Corporation 1991

Authors and Affiliations

  • Jim Hackler
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of SociologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonCanada

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