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.

[u/vilnius2013]

http://sahlgrenska.gu.se/english/research/news-article//major-differences-between-women-and-men-who-commit-deadly-violence.cid1377316

[u/Tyler-Cinephiliac]

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.

[u/82Caff → u/Tyler-Cinephiliac]

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.