Crime in Tennessee: Differences in Perpetrator Gender and the Impact of Rurality

• Main Authors: Gilley, Rebecca, Puszkiewicz, Kelcey, Stinson, Jill D., 9224142
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2018
• Subjects: crime; rural; gender; Clinical Psychology
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/asrf/2018/schedule/171

Researchers have long recognized the so-called “gender gap” in crime perpetration. The majority of crimes are committed by males, particularly with regard to more serious and violent crimes. However, little research examines these trends in rural areas. Less is known about social factors influencing rural crime, although some research suggests the gender gap is true across cultures and locations. The current study investigated male and female crime perpetration in Tennessee, emphasizing differences in rural versus nonrural counties. Data were obtained from the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System from 2016. Using the 2013 Rural Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC), counties were categorized based on geographic size and proximity to metropolitan areas. Tennessee’s 95 counties were categorized as Rural (i.e., nonmetropolitan counties and completely rural areas with a population < 2,500; RUCC codes 4-9; n = 53), or Nonrural (i.e., metropolitan counties; RUCC codes 1-3; n = 42). Percentages of incidents committed by female versus male perpetrators, normalized for population estimates of each gender, were utilized. A 2 x 2 factorial ANOVA was used to examine the effects of sex and rurality on crime perpetration. The interaction term was not significant for total offenses or varied types of offenses. Offense types that implicate the presence of intimidation, violence, and fear (e.g., murder, assault, sexual offenses) had significant main effects for gender but not rurality. In contrast, fraud and theft offenses had significant main effects for both gender and rurality, with males and nonrural regions accounting for higher percentages of incidents. These findings contribute to the limited research on rural versus urban crime. Further research on social factors that influence male and female crime is needed specific to rural areas. Additional implications and future directions of research will be explored.