title: Skewed sex ratios and criminal victimization in India.
abstract: Although substantial research has explored the causes of India's excessively masculine population sex ratio, few studies have examined the consequences of this surplus of males. We merge individual-level data from the 2004-2005 India Human Development Survey with data from the 2001 India population census to examine the association between the district-level male-to-female sex ratio at ages 15 to 39 and self-reports of victimization by theft, breaking and entering, and assault. Multilevel logistic regression analyses reveal positive and statistically significant albeit substantively modest effects of the district-level sex ratio on all three victimization risks. We also find that higher male-to-female sex ratios are associated with the perception that young unmarried women in the local community are frequently harassed. Household-level indicators of family structure, socioeconomic status, and caste, as well as areal indicators of women's empowerment and collective efficacy, also emerge as significant predictors of self-reported criminal victimization and the perceived harassment of young women. The implications of these findings for India's growing sex ratio imbalance are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Center for Social and Demographic Analysis, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA, s.south@albany.edu.
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: South
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trent
authors.forename: Sunita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bose
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014933:Women's Rights; D055815:Young Adult