The Rise of Female Violence

Violence among girls seems more visible than ever. This year, in Walthamstow, there were shocking scenes as a fight broke out started by young women. In Belfast, a fight between two girls organised on social media became a spectator event for the city’s teenagers. BBC reporter Alys Harte asks, are girls getting angrier - and if so, why? From women who beat their boyfriends, to drunken brawlers, to girl gangs – Alys looks at the rising number of females who are involved in violence, and hears from their victims. One in five of all violent crimes and a third of domestic violence incidents reported to the England and Wales Crime survey involve a female perpetrator - but have our perceptions kept pace with the change? Alys investigates if females are treated the same way as their male counterparts when it comes to British justice, and finds out how hard it is for women who are caught up in violence to take control of their aggression and move on with their lives.