NCJ Number
42767
Journal
Prosecutor Volume: 12 Issue: 6 Dated: (1977) Pages: 405-407
Date Published
1977
Length
3 pages
Annotation
EMPIRICAL DATA SUGGEST THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN OVEREMPHASIS ON THE EXTRINSIC CAUSES OF CRIME, SUCH AS THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS TO WHICH AN OFFENDER HAS BEEN EXPOSED.
Abstract
THE RESULTS OF TWO STUDY SAMPLES OF 1973 AND 1974 FELONY CONVICTIONS IN THE CONNECTICUT SUPERIOR COURT TEND TO CONFIRM A STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND EARLY ADULTHOOD. THESE FINDINGS ARE ALSO CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMON OBSERVATION THAT MOST CRIMINALS 'BURN OUT' SOMEWHERE AROUND AGE 30. THIS IS NOT TO SUGGEST THAT AGE IS A 'CAUSE' OF CRIME, BUT ONLY THAT SOME FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH AGE, I.E., CHARACTERISTIC OF POST-PUBERTY YOUNG ADULTS, CREATES A PREDISPOSITION TO AGGRESSIVE AND SOMETIMES CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AMONG THAT SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION. THE IMPLICATION OF THIS THESES, IF VALID, IS THAT PRIMARY RELIANCE ON SUCH SOCIAL PROGRAMS AS EMPLOYMENT TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO REFORM CONVICTED OFFENDERS IS INAPPROPRIATE, INEFFECTIVE, AND PROBABLY NOT WORTH THE FINANCIAL BURDEN. CORRECTIVE INTERVENTION WITH THE TYPICAL OFFENDER, IF IT IS TO COME AT ALL, SHOULD LOOK TO MEDICAL SCIENCE RATHER THAN SOCIAL SCIENCE, PARTICULARLY THE AVAILABILITY OF HORMONAL TREATMENT FOR AGGRESSIVENESS. THE IMPORTANCE OF VARIOUS STUDIES OF GENDER-CRIME CORRELATION IS THAT IF MALES ARE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND MORE CRIMINAL THAN FEMALES, AND IF THOSE DIFFERNCES ARE AT LEAST PARTLY INTRINSIC, THEN THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING AND MODIFYING ANTI-SOCIAL CONDUCT MAY LIE WITHIN THE PROCESS OF THE MALE MATURATION SYSTEM...ELW