NCJ Number
87117
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 10 Issue: 6 Dated: (1982) Pages: 433-442
Date Published
1982
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article applies the theory individual rational choice to micro data on the criminal activity of juveniles. The individual choice model is developed and applied to data on 1,171 files on property offenses adjudicated by the Family Court between 1972 and 1976.
Abstract
It is found that the type of crime chosen, as indicated by the charge at the time of arrest and the final charge, is influenced by sex, age, number of prior referrals to the court, ethnic extraction, and place of residence of the juvenile. As the effect of each of these individual characteristics on the probability of selecting the various crime differs, the choice of crime exhibits dynamic features; as the individual age increases, and as the number of prior referrals to court increase, the probabilities of selecting particular crimes change. These features are examined by generating the probabilities and examining the patterns which emerge. (Author abstract)