NCJ Number
56474
Date Published
1979
Length
4 pages
Annotation
DIFFERENCES IN THE RATE OF THEFT AND OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN A LARGE RETAIL ORGANIZATION ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
THE STUDY POPULATION INCLUDED ALL OF THE 447 'KNOWN' EMPLOYEES (PROSECUTED/NONPROSECUTED) WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THEFT OF CASH AND/OR MERCHANDISE OR MISUSE OF ORGANIZATIONAL EQUIPMENT DURING A TWO-YEAR PERIOD FROM 1973 TO 1975. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM PERSONNEL RECORDS, SECURITY APPREHENSION BOOKS, AND INTERVIEWS WITH KEY PERSONNEL IN THE ORGANIZATION. IT WAS FOUND THAT MALE EMPLOYEES COMMITTED MORE THEFTS AGAINST THE ORGANIZATION THAN DID FEMALE EMPLOYEES. ALTHOUGH MALES WERE A MINORITY IN THE WORK FORCE (40 PERCENT MALES, 60 PERCENT FEMALES), THEY COMMITTED OVER ONE-THIRD MORE THEFTS THAN THE WOMEN. MEN WHO COMMITTED THEFT WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE YOUNG AND SINGLE, WHILE THE WOMEN TENDED TO BE OLDER AND MARRIED. THE FEMALES, WHO WORKED PRIMARILY IN SALES AND CLERICAL POSITIONS, HAD HIGHLY VISIBLE WORK PLACES, MAKING THEM MORE VULNERABLE TO DETECTION, WHILE THE MANAGERIAL AND STOCK POSITIONS DOMINATED BY MEN WERE SUBJECT TO THE LEAST AMOUNT OF VISIBILITY, SUPERVISION, AND CONTROL, MAKING THEFT MUCH EASIER FOR THOSE IN THESE POSITIONS. MOST THEFTS OF HIGH VALUE WERE COMMITTED BY MALE EMPLOYEES, WHILE THE FEMALE THEFTS WERE RELATIVELY PETTY; 81 PERCENT OF ALL FEMALE THEFTS WERE VALUED AT BETWEEN $1 AND $150. EMBEZZLEMENT, WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR THE GREATEST VALUE IN THEFT LOSS, AND WHICH REQUIRES SOPHISTICATION IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL MANIPULATION, WAS MOST CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER-LEVEL POSITIONS OCCUPIED BY MEN. THUS, THE PETTY NATURE OF THE FEMALE THEFT NOT ONLY REFLECTS A LACK OF OPPORTUNITY, BUT MAY ALSO REFLECT A LACK OF SKILL IN CERTAIN TYPES OF RECORDKEEPING AND FINANCIAL MANIPULATIONS. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCE NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)