Chapter 2 - Research on Female Offending and Victimization - Key Terms

Key terms from Stacy L Mallicoat's Women and Crime: The Essentials

Dark figure of crime

The amount of criminal activity that goes unreported, undetected, or unrecorded by law enforcement.

Feminist research methods

Approaches to inquiry that prioritize the lived experiences of women and marginalized groups.

Forcible rape

Any sexual act directed against another person, forcibly and against their will. This specific definition emphasizes vaginal and/or anal penetration.

Harrassment

Unwelcome comments, conduct, or actions that demean, humiliate, threaten, or cause emotional harm.

National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

An FBI administered program used by law enforcement agencies to collect highly detailed data on individual crime incidents.

National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NIPSVS)

An ongoing, nationally representative research system run by the CDC, measuring the prevalence and lifetime impact of sexual violence.

National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS)

A landmark study conducted by telephone in 1995-96, surveying 8k men and 8k women, measuring the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of rape, physical assault, and stalking in the US.

Physical battery

The intentional and offensive physical contact with another person without their consent.

Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)

A nationwide, cooperative statistical effort run by the FBI that collects and publishes official crime data from over 19,000 local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies across the US.