NCJ Number
69179
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1980) Pages: 185-192
Date Published
1980
Length
8 pages
Annotation
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF 225 CASES SELECTED RANDOMLY FROM THE JUVENILE COURT IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. SHOWS THAT 63 PERCENT OF OFFENSES COMMITTED BY MALES AND 57 PERCENT COMMITTED BY FEMALES INVOLVED GROUP BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
THE DATA SHOW THAT VIOLENT OFFENSES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE COMMITTED BY YOUTHS ACTING ALONE, WHILE NONVIOLENT OFFENSES ARE USUALLY COMMITTED IN GROUPS. ONLY 35 PERCENT OF THE NONVIOLENT OFFENSES WERE COMMITTED ALONE, WHILE 57 PERCENT OF THE VIOLENT OFFENSES WERE COMMITTED BY A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL. MORE THAN HALF (55 PERCENT) OF ALL DELINQUENT ACTS WERE COMMITTED BY GROUPS OF TWO OR THREE, 8 PERCENT WERE COMMITTED BY GROUPS OF FOUR TO SIX, AND ONLY ONE INVOLVED A DELINQUENT GANG OF A LARGER SIZE. MALE DELINQUENCIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE GROUP-RELATED THAN FEMALE, BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS MINOR. AS WITH MALES, MOST DELINQUENCIES BY FEMALES INVOLVE GROUPS OF TWO OR THREE. ADDITIONAL STUDIES OF THE SEXUAL STRUCTURE OF DELINQUENCY-PRODUCING GROUPS AND THE PROPERTIES OF SUCH GROUPS SHOULD BE MADE TO BETTER DESCRIBE THE DELINQUENT GROUP OF THE 1970'S AND 1980'S. SIX REFERENCES AND A TABLE ARE INCLUDED.