“the Reproduction of Violence: Women’s Pathways from Victimization to Crime in the Moroccan Society.”

While the psychological and social impacts of violence against women—such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social isolation—are well-recognized, the link between this victimization and women's involvement in criminal activities remains less understood.

This presentation examines the cyclical relationship between victimization and criminality among women, focusing specifically on the Moroccan context. It explores how experiences of gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, sexual assault, and systemic inequality, often lead to criminal behaviours. By doing so, the presentation challenges conventional criminological perspectives that label women offenders as inherently deviant, highlighting instead the structural, social, and psychological factors that trap women in cycles of violence and crime.

Drawing on findings from an empirical study titled Female Criminality in the Moroccan Society[1], this presentation provides both a quantitative and qualitative analysis of female criminality, identifying its characteristics and the factors contributing to it. The study reveals that many women who engage in criminal activities have previously been victims of violence, often resorting to crime as a survival strategy, a form of self-defense, or a response to long-term trauma.

In this context, the presentation emphasizes the urgent need for legal reforms that account for the role of gendered violence in cases where women commit crimes under coercion or in self-defense. It further advocates for the adoption of restorative justice approaches, which focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment, particularly for women whose criminal behavior stems from their victimization.

This analysis aims to foster a deeper understanding of the complex pathways from victimization to criminality and calls for gender-sensitive reforms that break the cycle of violence while promoting justice and rehabilitation for women in the criminal justice system.

[1] Bentaleb, I. (2024). Female criminality in the Moroccan society: A sociological study of factors contributing to women's criminality [Doctoral dissertation, Ibn Tofail University]