Are 80% of Targeted Individuals Women? Taking an Honest Look

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Are 80% of Targeted Individuals Women? Taking an Honest Look

It’s often claimed in TI circles that “up to 80% of targeted individuals are women.” The number gets passed around in forums, infographics, and activist materials. But where does it come from? And how reliable is it?

The Source of the Claim
No government agency or academic institution has ever released official statistics on TIs. The 80% figure comes from community-level counts — forums, Facebook groups, advocacy lists. These are not scientific surveys. They’re informal tallies shaped by who shows up and who speaks up.

Why It Looks Skewed Toward Women
Visibility Bias
Women are more likely to seek help, join groups, and share their experiences publicly.
Men are far less likely to identify as TIs or enter support spaces, making them “invisible” in community counts.
Divide-and-Conquer
Perps thrive on identity politics. Dropping unverified numbers that suggest a gender gap fuels division inside the TI community.
A gender split weakens solidarity and distracts from the system’s real methods.
Statistical Error
If women are overrepresented in self-reporting, the numbers tilt by default.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease, but it doesn’t represent the whole machine.
The Overlooked Male Experience
While women may appear to dominate the TI numbers, men definitely face outcomes that are statistically worse in other areas tied to targeting:

Homelessness
HUD’s 2023 Point-in-Time count shows 60–70% of the homeless population is male.
Nearly 70% of the unsheltered homeless population — those on the streets, in tents, or in cars — are men.
If homelessness is a common end point for TIs, then men may be under-counted simply because they disappear into harsher outcomes where statistics are no longer tracked as “targeting.”

Why It Matters
Accepting unverified numbers at face value strengthens the very wedge perps want. Repeating “80% of TIs are women” turns into a tool of division, not clarity. The reality is more complex: women may be more visible, men may be more likely to vanish into homelessness or silence.

Conclusion
The claim that 80% of TIs are women doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. It reflects who speaks up, not who suffers most. Until real data is gathered, the truth is this:

Women are more likely to be seen.
Men are more likely to disappear.
Both are targeted. Both are harmed.
Good news? Not exactly. But it does mean the fight isn’t gendered — it’s universal. And the sooner we stop letting divide-and-conquer narratives shape our statistics, the stronger we’ll be.


https://kasspert.wordpress.com/2025/...n-honest-look/