A Gender Perspective of Migrant Kidnapping in Mexico

Despite its frequency in Mexico, research on migrant kidnapping is scant. We estimate that up to 250,000 migrants may have been kidnapped between 2006 and 2018. Even less is known about women as perpetrators in kidnapping operations. Moreover, in Mexico, research that examines the relationship betwe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Victims & offenders 2020-04, Vol.15 (3), p.295-312
Main Authors: Yates, Caitlyn, Leutert, Stephanie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
crimes of mobility
Demography
Female offenders
Gender
Gender relations
Kidnapping
Mexico
migrant
Migrants
Migration
Money
Offenders
Participation
Perpetrators
Recruitment
Victim offender relations
Victimization
Victims
Women
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Summary:Despite its frequency in Mexico, research on migrant kidnapping is scant. We estimate that up to 250,000 migrants may have been kidnapped between 2006 and 2018. Even less is known about women as perpetrators in kidnapping operations. Moreover, in Mexico, research that examines the relationship between gender, transit migration, and kidnapping focuses almost exclusively on victimization, and is centered on the male as the perpetrator. This article breaks with both narratives by examining women's participation in migrant kidnappings in Mexico through an original dataset of 388 cases. Women were present as perpetrators in 30 percent of the cases, participating in operationally important but also gendered activities, like recruiting potential victims or collecting ransom money. By exploring kidnappers' demographic characteristics, this article presents the first exploration between migrant kidnapping and female offenders in Mexico.
ISSN:1556-4886
1556-4991
DOI:10.1080/15564886.2019.1685040