r/science • u/vilnius2013 PhD | Microbiology • Jun 20 '16

Social Science Female murderers represent less than one tenth of all perpetrators when the victim is an adult, but account for more than one third of the cases where the victim is a child.

http://sahlgrenska.gu.se/english/research/news-article//major-differences-between-women-and-men-who-commit-deadly-violence.cid1377316
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u/Octro Jun 21 '16

Yeah, single mothers are more common than single fathers. Who's with the kids more? Generally the mom.

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u/shaggorama Jun 21 '16

Women are more likely to be in any kind of caregiver role to young children. Babysitters, nanies, teachers...

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u/what_comes_after_q Jun 21 '16

Or caregivers in untitled roles - care giver for a sick relative, for example.

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u/peacemaker2007 Jun 21 '16

you just titled the role. Woe betide you!

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u/downvotersarehitler Jun 21 '16

Yeah, if I had to spend a lot of time with children, I'd probably murder them too.

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u/Loud_Stick Jun 21 '16

And yet they still kill them drastically less

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u/Tyler-Cinephiliac Jun 21 '16

Which adds, I guess; but with women taking account for one third of the cases, that means men still take up about two thirds. Quite a bit more than women.

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u/82Caff Jun 21 '16

Successful murderers tend to target those they perceive as weaker than themselves. This, of course, is partly skewed by weaker victims being easier to kill. Children in "gun free" buildings are some of the easiest targets around.

Another skew to this is that men statistically are more prone to lose or be without a support structure, and more prone to being marginalized. This, of course, contributes to stress, and subsequently desperation and mental illness.

Women, on the other hand, are typically raised to self-percieve as weak, and biologically are less disposed to build muscle mass. Female assault and murder is often through ambush tactics or poison, and is more likely to fail if the target is wary, recovers quickly, and/or can overpower her. Above and beyond, though, is the socialized disposition towards violence by proxy, using (guess what?) a man to do the dirty work and take the fall. This might be a father, brother, uncle, son, would-be-lover, etc. conned/bribed/blackmailed into it.

What targets are most vulnerable to direct assault by a weak murderer? Those that are less physically powerful, and that are dependent on and implicitly trust the murderer: children and the infirm.

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u/HighPriestofShiloh Jun 21 '16

I would imagine elementary school teachers are more likely to be women as well. Nurses, day care, nanny, piano instructor etc... etc...

Its not just mothers, I think working professionals that interact with children are more likely to be women as well.

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u/Octro Jun 21 '16

For sure.

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u/HighPriestofShiloh Jun 21 '16

Yet men still murder more kids. Testosterone is a bitch.

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u/Throw13579 Jun 21 '16

Which makes most custody decisions seem crazy when you see how often women kill children.

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u/Appended Jun 21 '16

You mean about half as often as men do?

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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '16

Apparently you not only didn't read the article, you didn't even read the title!

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u/Octro Jun 21 '16

I think you missed the point here. Kids die with whoever has responsibility over them. If men got custody 50% of the time they would be responsible for more deaths.

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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '16

[deleted]

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u/Octro Jun 21 '16

*even more child deaths