NCJ Number
59346
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (WINTER 1978) Pages: 171-176
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
DATA WHICH CHARACTERIZES THE GENERAL LEVEL OF CRIME IN THE USSR, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE LEVEL OF FEMALE CRIMINALITY, ARE PRESENTED; DATA PRESENTED HERE ARE NOT OPENLY PUBLISHED.
Abstract
SOVIET CRIMINOLOGISTS VIEW CRIMINALITY NOT SIMPLY AS AN ABNORMAL FORM OF BEHAVIOR, BUT RATHER AS A DISTINCT MANIFESTATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. AN ANALYSIS OF SOME UNPUBLISHED AND SOME SECRETLY PUBLISHED STATISTICAL DATA ABOUT THE STATE OF CRIMINALITY IN THE USSR INDICATES THAT CRIMINALITY HAS NOT BEEN REDUCED, BUT HAS INCREASED CONTINUALLY OVER TIME. THE NUMBER OF CRIMINALS SENTENCED TO PRISONS AND CORRECTIVE LABOR CAMPS IN 1972 ALONE CAME TO 900,000 PERSONS; THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF INMATES HAD REACHED NEARLY 3 MILLION IN THE MID-1970'S. THE LONG-TERM RECORD OF CRIME STATISTICS CONFIRMS THE EXISTENCE OF HISTORICAL REGULARITY IN THE PROPORTION OF MALES TO FEMALES. MALE CRIMINALS HAVE ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED THEIR FEMALE COUNTERPARTS, BUT THE SHARE OF FEMALES AMONG ALL CRIMINALS HAS INCREASED CONTINUALLY ALONG WITH THE GROWING COMPLEXITY OF SOCIAL LIFE. THE DYNAMICS OF FEMALE CRIMINALITY CAN BE CHARACTERIZED BY THE FOLLOWING INDICATOR. IN 1925 BY COMPARISON WITH CONVICTED MALES, THERE WERE 5.7 TIMES LESS FEMALES; IN 1972, THERE WERE 6.0 TIMES LESS FEMALE CRIMINALS. IT IS THEREFORE CONCLUDED THAT THE PROPORTION OF WOMEN INVOLVED IN THE COMMISSION OF CRIMES HAS NOT CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER TIME. DATA INDICATE THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF FEMALES IN THE TOTAL CONVICTED POPULATION IN THE USSR HAS FLUCTUATED BETWEEN 12 AND 18 PERCENT. THIS DATA IS ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH STATISTICS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, REGARDING THE PROPORTION OF MALE TO FEMALE CRIMINALS. THE INCREASING NUMBER OF WOMEN EMPLOYED AT JOBS INVOLVING CONTACT WITH MONEY IS REFLECTED IN THE INCREASING CONVICTIONS FOR EMBEZZLEMENT AND THEFT OF STATE OR SOCIAL PROPERTY. AN ANALYSIS OF ALL DATA SUGGESTS THAT THE SOVIET FEMALE CRIMINAL, AS A REFLECTION OF HER INCREASED INVOLVEMENT WITH THE WORKING FORCE, IS RAPIDLY CATCHING UP TO HER MALE COUNTERPART IN TYPES OF CRIMES COMMITTED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES OF WOMEN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE QUANTITATIVE PROOF OF PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMISSION OF CERTAIN CRIMES, WHILE SOCIAL FACTORS INFLUENCE THE REASONS FOR THEIR COMMISSION. ENDNOTES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LWM)