The Sex Ratio as a Predictor of Cross-National Variation in Violent Crime

Abstract

Because low-sex-ratio societies are likely to have increased family conflict, and because family conflict increases aggression, it was predicted that these societies would have higher rates of violent crimes such as homicide, rape, and assaults. These predictions were supported in regression analyses of Interpol data for 70 countries that used a variety of controls for level of economic development, ecology (mean temperature, population density, population movement), marriage system, and geographical region. The results indicate that family variables can account for a substantial amount of the crossnational variance in violent crime.