Disparities in police proceedings and court sentencing for females versus males who commit sexual offences in New Zealand

Tess Patterson; Linda Hobbs; Nadine McKillop; Kelley Burton

doi:10.1080/13552600.2019.1581281

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Disparities in police proceedings and court sentencing for females versus males who commit sexual offences in New Zealand

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Disparities in police proceedings and court sentencing for females versus males who commit sexual offences in New Zealand

Tess Patterson, Linda Hobbs, Nadine McKillop and Kelley Burton

Journal of Sexual Aggression, Vol.25(2), pp.161-176

2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2019.1581281

Appears in UniSC Diversity and Inclusion Research Collection

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Abstract

female sexual offender

sexual offending

sentencing disparities

court action

gender differences

UniSC Diversity Area - Gender Equity

This study investigated whether there are disparities in the way in which police proceed against females and males who commit sexual offences. We explored whether there are discrepancies in the severity of court sentences handed down to female and male sexual offenders. Using police and sentencing data, we compared the proportion of females and males who proceeded to court action once charged with a sexual offence and, separately, the severity of sentencing handed down to both genders. In terms of police decision-making processes, compared to males, a smaller proportion of females proceeded to "court action" for their offences. Furthermore, the severity of sentences handed down to males was greater than those handed down to females, both generally and when the sexual offence could be directly matched. These findings are discussed in the context of gender differences in how these crimes are processed and implications for justice, intervention, and community safety.

Details

Title: Disparities in police proceedings and court sentencing for females versus males who commit sexual offences in New Zealand
Authors: Tess Patterson (Author) - University of Otago, New Zealand
Linda Hobbs (Author) - University of Otago, New Zealand
Nadine McKillop (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - USC Law School
Kelley Burton (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - USC Law School
Publication details: Journal of Sexual Aggression, Vol.25(2), pp.161-176
Publisher: Routledge
Date published: 2019
DOI: 10.1080/13552600.2019.1581281
ISSN: 1355-2600
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit; School of Law and Criminology - Legacy
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99451000502621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Criminology & Penology

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