NCJ Number
111142
Date Published
1988
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the advantages of the cohort analytic technique as well as pointing out the various issues and concerns related to the method.
Abstract
The most commonly used methods for analyzing change in crime and delinquency rates, longitudinal and cross-sectional techniques, offer incomplete and inadequate explanations. Cohort analysis, however, incorporates these two techniques into a delineation of age, period, and cohort effects on changing deviant activity. A brief illustration of the method is presented using male and female personal offense rates for three birth cohorts. A comparison of results from longitudinal, cross-sectional, and cohort analysis shows the improvement gained by utilizing the cohort technique. 2 tables, 5 footnotes, and 19 references. (Author abstract modified)