Gender differences in delinquency and victimization of youth: test of the emancipation theory on international data

Abstract:
This study analyzes the gender gap in delinquency and victimization of youth and its development using data from two sweeps of the International Self-Report Delinquency study. Besides a description of differences in gender gaps across European countries, a series of hypotheses derived from the emancipation theory is tested. The results reveal that the gender gap in delinquency is present almost in all countries, whereas in the case of victimization, prevalence rates of boys and girl are often comparable. In addition, there is a decrease in the size of the gender gap both in delinquency and victimization in almost all countries during one decade which coincides with the increase in gender equality. In general, findings are fairly supportive of the emancipation theory when countries are analyzed separately; nevertheless, a comparative analysis employing the Gender Inequality Index does not show any association between the level of inequality and the gender gap across European countries.

Keywords:
delinquency, victimization, youth, gender, the emancipation theory

Authors:
Zuzana Podaná

DOI: