Males are more likely to be accused of homicide or victims of homicide than their female counterparts. In the two charts below, I have focused the data visualization firstly on both male and females accused of homicide in 2011. The numbers are shocking: 507 men were accused of homicide in 2011; compared to only 58 women.
When looking specifically at age, men tend to commit homicide between the ages of 18-24, while women aged 25-29 have a higher rate of committing homicide.
We see countless stories in the media of armed and dangerous men that we must locate because, low and behold, they are wanted for some form of violent crime. Women don't saturate the media in the same way, and when looking at the numbers, it's clear to see why.
It's no surprise why males are accused more of homicide when we have such prominent cases such as the Surrey Six shooting back in 2007 - all of the accused were men and every single victim were also men. When it comes to gang life, males tend to be the ringleaders in both murder and victimization.
When looking at the charts below, the age group to note for males is the 18-24, which are the prime years that males tend to show their aggression, resulting in higher rates of homicide. For females, the age group jumps to the 25-29 year category, with 18-24 not far behind.
Females don't usually become gang members, but they can be quite dangerous, too. Especially when looking at news stories of women accused of murder, their seems to be a trend for domestic violence. Like North Delta woman, Beatrice Thomas, for example. She was accused of stabbing her common-law husband to death during a fight back in 2011 - popping her on the chart below in the 30-39 category! It's a bit odd, but while researching stories of homicide among women, I was unable to find any new stories about women accused of homicide in 2011 between the ages of 18-24, and 25-29.
Women, in general, aren't common in murder stories. Which made me wonder is this to do with the actual numbers behind it, or does the media choose not to report on murderous women? Nevertheless, I found the numbers interesting, but not surprising when comparing males and females.
However, what I did find surprising was the number of male victims in comparison to female victims from 2011.
Though the numbers are not as dramatic as the accused of homicide numbers, I expected that females would be victimized more than males. Yet, looking at both charts below, you can see that males are victims twice as much as females are. I was curious as to why, and specifically looking at the age groups - the most victimized males fall between the 40-49 year old group. Which I personally found very surprising.
After reading an article posted on Canadian Press, 2014 stats show that aboriginals accounted for almost one quarter of all victims, with "aboriginal males...seven times more likely to be homicide victims compared with aboriginal males." Given that aboriginals sometimes live in confined areas, tensions could be high, resulting in more disputes and heightened aggression.
When looking at the chart below, female victims aged 18-24 take the cake, while 60 years and over comes in second. Given that seniors are more vulnerable members in our society, it makes them an easier target.
Well, except for the 'Granny Ripper'...she's more badass than most senior citizens.
In conclusion, I was surprised by the number of male victims, yet enlightened by the reasons as to why males are more likely to be accused of homicide as well as victims. Gang life, aggression, domestic abuse and disputes between aboriginals are some compelling reasons for the gap between males and females.
