Juvenile Crime: Explanations and Differences From Adults

Base Rate Differences in Crime Among Juveniles and Adults Age and Crime (The age distribution revisited)

Percentage of Total Arrests Under Age 18, Eight Index Crimes, 1997

Age Curves for Homicide and Auto Theft

Youth Propensity to Arrest (Age 15/Age 24) by Offense, United States 1997 Type of Crime Ratio of 15/24 Arrests Homicide 0.40 Aggravated Assault 0.79 Rape 0.96 Robbery 1.92 Larceny 2.86 Burglary 3.40 Auto Theft 3.67 Arson 3.78

Persistence by Age: WhenDoes Crime Propensity Decline?

Persistence by Age: Violence

Homicide Arrest by Age, Four Distributions (Age 20 = 100)

Race and Crime Juvenile involvement in crime by race has been generally consistent over the past several decades Gaps in arrest and incarceration have widened Homicide and injury data show that racial gap in violence has widened dramatically between since 1985 Crime type distribution the same for whites and non-whites Weapon use greater for non-whites Confound with social contexts of family and neighborhood Are there differences in desistance patterns, and therefore predictions of future offending? Systemic preferences may contribute to crime, especially if we think that “labeling or secondary deviance” is a part of the developmental process (profiling, incarceration) Are juv/adult differences the same as for nonwhite and whites?

Gender Differences How do factors that explain female delinquency differ from males? Is there a unique developmental trajectory for girls? Base rates are lower, especially for serious violence Are trajectories the same over time? Is the age curve different? Etiological factors unique or shared? (e.g., sexual abuse) Peer and social contexts (gangs, for example) Social control differences (power-control theory)? Does JJS regard female law violation as more or less serious? Especially aggression?

Interaction of Context and Development among Girls “The impact of menarcheal timing on female delinquency was moderated by the sex composition of schools; early-maturing girls in mixed-sex settings were at greatest risk for delinquency. Individual differences in delinquency were also significantly more stable among girls in mixed-sex schools than among those in all-girl schools” (Caspi et al., 1993)

Maturational Trajectories Theory: Kids do crime because they are…..well, kids Pyschosocial Development and Maturity Autonomy (Social) Identity Emotional Regulation Risk Taking Social Judgment Legal Socialization and Effects of Experiences with the Law and Legal Actors

Organic Development Evidence from Natural Science There are frontal lobe functions that map to maturity “Starting the engines without a skilled driver” Areas of frontal lobe development show largest differences between juveniles and adults Brain maturation continues well beyond age 18, into the early 20’s Puberty Where is the boundary? Do any of these explanations apply for adults (see, Atkins)

Cumulative Rates of Maturation