MOVING HOME, LEAVING LONDON AND DELINQUENT TRENDS

• NCJ Number: 65882
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology Volume: 20 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1980) Pages: 54-61
• Author(s): S G OSBORN
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 8 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Great Britain Home Office; Great Britain Dept of Health and Social Security
• Corporate Author: Stevens and Sons
• Sale Source: Fred B Rothman & Co; Institute for Scientific Information
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: PRICE QUOTED FOR FRED B. ROTHMAN IS A SINGLE ISSUE PRICE.

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DELINQUENCY AND MOVING FROM ONE HOME ADDRESS TO ANOTHER IS EXPLORED IN THIS BRITISH STUDY, PART OF THE LONG-TERM CAMBRIDGE STUDY IN DELINQUENT DEVELOPMENT (ENGLAND).

Abstract

THE MAIN SAMPLE WAS 397 MEN WHO WERE STILL ALIVE AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ON THEIR 22ND BIRTHDAY AND WHO WERE INTERVIEWED AT AGES 14, 16, 18. AMONG THESE, A RESTRICTED SAMPLE OF 241 WAS SELECTED FOR INTERVIEWS AT AGE 21. THOSE SELECTED WERE OFFICIALLY DELINQUENT OR CONTROLS. HOME ADDRESSES WERE TRACED FOR THE TOTAL SAMPLE UP TO THE 18-YEAR INQUIRY BUT FOR ONLY 232 OF THE RESTRICTED SAMPLE AT THE 21-YEAR INQUIRY. DELINQUENT STATUS WAS DEFINED BY AN ENTRY IN THE CRIMINAL RECORD OFFICE FOR AN OFFENSE OF A KIND ROUTINELY RECORDED THERE AND WAS BASED ON THE DATE OF OFFENSE, RATHER THAN THE DATE OF CONVICTION. RESULTS SHOWED THAT LESS THAN A THIRD OF THE SAMPLE WERE STILL AT THE ORIGINAL INTAKE ADDRESS WHEN CONTACTED DURING THE 18-YEAR INQUIRY AND OVER A THIRD HAD MOVED OUT OF THE INTAKE AREA. DELINQUENTS, AND PARTICULARLY RECIDIVISTS, WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE MOVED THAN NONDELINQUENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, 36.1 PERCENT OF RECIDIVISTS HAD 3 OR 4 ADDRESSES RECORDED UP TO AND INCLUDING THE 18-YEAR INQUIRY COMPARED WITH ONLY 15.8 PERCENT OF 1-TIME OFFENDERS AND DELINQUENTS. THOSE ALREADY DELINQUENT WERE MORE LIKELY TO MOVE THAN NONDELINQUENTS, BUT MOVING DID NOT PREDISPOSE TO THE ONSET OF DELINQUENCY. FINALLY, THERE WAS A DEFINITE TENDENCY FOR THOSE WHO REMAINED IN LONDON TO ACQUIRE CONVICTIONS AND FOR THOSE WHO MOVED OUT OF LONDON TO AVOID CONVICTIONS. ADMISSIONS OF DELINQUENT ACTS SHOWED THAT THIS TREND WAS RELATED TO A REDUCTION IN DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN TO DIFFERENCES IN POLICE PROCEDURE OR DETECTION RATES. BECAUSE INTERVIEW RESPONSES REVEALED THAT OTHER ASPECTS OF BEHAVIOR SUCH AS UNSTABLE EMPLOYMENT AND HEAVY DRINKING WERE THE SAME FOR THOSE LIVING IN AND OUT OF LONDON, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT ATTITUDES CONDUCIVE TO DELINQUENCY WERE UNCHANGED, BUT THAT CIRCUMSTANCES ASSOCIATED WITH LIVING OUT OF LONDON PROVIDED LESS OPPORTUNITY. FOOTNOTES, REFERENCES, AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (AOP)