Young women become more violent

Young Kiwi women are becoming more violent, with disorder and violence convictions more than doubling since 2000.

The sharp increase in convictions is being blamed on excess alcohol, family violence and a desire to be one of the boys.

Between 2000 and 2009, convictions soared for young women committing public order offences and acts intended to injure, Justice Ministry figures show. The most marked rise was for women aged 17 to 24.

Nationally, in 2009, there were 715 convictions for women in that age group for acts intended to injure, compared with 341 in 2000.

In 2009, there were 808 convictions for public-order offences for that age bracket, compared with 176 in 2000.

Senior Sergeant Gordon Spite, officer in charge of the Christchurch beat section, said there was "no doubt" women were featuring more in disorder and violent offences.

"We are picking up girls who are grossly intoxicated, and there's a clear link between excessive alcohol consumption and violence," he said.

"It's also probably more of a level playing field in terms of what the sexes do these days."

Upper Moutere anthropologist Dr Donna Swift said girls often learnt bad behaviour at an early age.

Swift's findings were based on her research in the Tasman Police District into violence and antisocial behaviour among girls under 17.

Girls made up 32 per cent of those under 17 who came to police attention for violent offending.

Girls in years 6 to 8 also seemed to be showing more violent behaviour, Swift said.

There was a trend that those who witnessed violence in the home became violent themselves, she said.

"Another correlation is that often these girls are linked to older partners who provide them with access to alcohol and cars or sexual behaviour which is beyond their years," she said.

Alcohol was a catalyst for bad behaviour.

"They are starting it really early. Girls are really trying to get the attention of males," she said. "One way to get attention is to [drink] like the boys and another way is to drink until you are not in control and you are seen as more available."

Victoria University crime and justice research centre senior research fellow Dr Venezia Kingi said the increase was "a concern".

However, "we don't really know" what the figures mean.

"What would be interesting to know is whether the context of young women's violence is different from young men's," Kingi said.

"What we see, certainly internationally, is that the rate of young men's violence is dropping, and the rate of young women's violence is standing static or increasing slightly.

"I believe New Zealand has a huge problem with a culture of normalised violence in the way we talk to each other and the way people use violence to sort out personal issues.

"Are these young women from families where people carry on like this and it's not seen as an issue?"

- © Fairfax NZ News