Assessing Relationship of Adult Criminal Careers to Juvenile Careers (From Research and the Serious Juvenile Offender, 1983, Tape 4 - See NCJ-91418)

• NCJ Number: 91420
• Author(s): L W Shannon
• Date Published: 1983
• Length: 0 pages
• Sale Source: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. Running time: 45 mins.

Annotation

A longitudinal study of cohorts in Racine, Wis., from 1948-76 failed to provide data that would permit the prediction of adult criminality from juvenile delinquency patterns.

Abstract

Racine, Wis., has all the dynamics of an urban area such that the members of the cohort can be expected to be subjected to the same influences as persons growing up in urban areas. From those who reported delinquent behavior in their juvenile years, there was no pattern or link associated with the adoption of an adult criminal career. Where adult criminal careers did exist, there was no consistent pattern of juvenile behavior. Formal contact with the criminal justice system as a juvenile was also identified as a possible factor that may increase the possibility of adult criminal involvement. The implications of the findings for predicting criminality are discussed.