Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Changing patterns of offending behaviour among young adults.
AU - Soothill, Keith
AU - Francis, Brian
AU - Ackerley, Elizabeth
AU - Humphreys, Leslie
PY - 2008/1
Y1 - 2008/1
N2 - This paper focuses on the offending behaviour of different generations. It considers the convictions of six cohorts involving 31,456 young adults aged 16-20 in the early 1970s, the late 1970s, the early 1980s, the late 1980s, the early 1990s and the late 1990s. Using latent class analysis, 16 offence clusters for males and five offence clusters for females were identified. For both males and females, the proportions of the population convicted in the 16-20 age group have declined. Among the males, 'versatile' clusters are increasing and 'specialist' clusters, with some exceptions, are rapidly declining. Among females, the proportions in the versatile cluster have increased appreciably, while the specialist cluster of violence has increased and that of shoplifting has decreased. We suggest that the impact of these changes has not been fully understood by important official definers of crime, such as judges and magistrates.
AB - This paper focuses on the offending behaviour of different generations. It considers the convictions of six cohorts involving 31,456 young adults aged 16-20 in the early 1970s, the late 1970s, the early 1980s, the late 1980s, the early 1990s and the late 1990s. Using latent class analysis, 16 offence clusters for males and five offence clusters for females were identified. For both males and females, the proportions of the population convicted in the 16-20 age group have declined. Among the males, 'versatile' clusters are increasing and 'specialist' clusters, with some exceptions, are rapidly declining. Among females, the proportions in the versatile cluster have increased appreciably, while the specialist cluster of violence has increased and that of shoplifting has decreased. We suggest that the impact of these changes has not been fully understood by important official definers of crime, such as judges and magistrates.
U2 - 10.1093/bjc/azm039
DO - 10.1093/bjc/azm039
M3 - Journal article
VL - 48
SP - 75
EP - 95
JO - British Journal of Criminology
JF - British Journal of Criminology
SN - 1464-3529
IS - 1
ER -