Who Engages In Delinquency? Is Delinquency on The Rise?

Arrest Data Estimated arrests of persons under age 18 in the United States Total Arrests 1999: 2,468, : 2,369, : 2,273, : 2,261, : 2,220, : 2,202,000

Arrest Data Arrest rate of persons under age 18 (per100,000 persons age 10 to 17) in the United States Violent Crime Index 1999: : : : : : 271

Arrest Data Arrest rate of persons under age 18 (per100,000 persons age 10 to 17) in the United States Property Index Crime 1999: 1, : 1, : 1, : 1, : 1, : 1,346

Arrest Data Overall arrest data suggest: –Violent crime is on the decline –Property crime is on the decline –Part II offenses vary –Refer to pages of text

Self-Report Data Overall self-report data suggest: –Property crime remains high –Violent crime is on the decline –Illicit drug use remains stable –Refer to pages of text

Explaining the Decline in Serious Crime Decline in Crack Use & Turf Wars Better Economy –Less people living in poverty –Better Parenting –Improved school performance –Decline in gangs Improvement in Policing –COP Prevention & Rehabilitation Increase in Incarceration Increase in Incarceration –Specific and general deterrence

Victimization Data Who is most likely to be victimized? –Young people –Men –African Americans –Lower Class

Gender & Delinquency Arrest Ratio –2.5: 1.0 (male to female) Common denominator = minor property and substance abuse offenses Is the gender-gap becoming smaller? Do delinquency rates react to same forces? Do delinquency rates react to same forces? Differences in rationale?

Race/Ethnicity & Delinquency Arrest Data –African Americans are disproportionately involved in delinquency –African Americans are more likely to be arrested for violent offenses –Race differences in arrest rates have declined over the years Self-Report Data –African Americans and whites report similar levels of minor delinquency –African Americans engage in more serious crime –More high rate offenders = African Americans

Age & Delinquency Inverse relationship –as age increases, crime decreases –aging out phenomenon Types of Offenders –adolescent-limited offenders –chronic offenders High-rate, serious, Low rate, minor, chronic offenders____________________________________adolescent offenders

Social Class & Delinquency How do we define social class? Social Class Delinquency Link –Inconsistent results Arrest Data –social class strongly related to delinquency Self-Report Data –No class differences in minor delinquency –Lower class engage in more serious delinquency –Persistent poverty = higher levels of delinquency