NCJ Number
198266
Date Published
2002
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This document focuses on developing a typology of criminal activity and identifies types of criminal behavior separately for males and females.
Abstract
Criminal activity within 5-year age bands was examined using criminal conviction data so that types of offending behavior could be identified. Results show that patterns of offending behavior for a set of offenders born in 1953 varied between males and females. Male offending showed greater diversity than female offending. The nine clusters of offending for males were versatile offending (drugs, sex offenses, receiving stolen goods), nonviolent property (burglary), fraud and general theft, general violence, petty theft, aggressive property offending and wide-ranging car crime, vehicle theft, wounding, and shoplifting. The three clusters of offending for females were versatile offending, shoplifting, and trust violation. There is evidence of greater diversity for offenders born in 1958, for both males and females. For the males, each type of offending had a distinct age profile. The types of offending for females showed much less variation with age. Changes in criminal activity as offenders grow older can be assessed using this methodology. There was evidence of increasing specialization in older age groups. One type of male offending, identified as “aggressive property offending and wide-ranging car crime” has a strong likelihood of recurrence in every age group. This research provides the basis for a tool with which practitioners can assess recent offending behavior, the chances of re-conviction, and shifts in crime patterns. 3 figures, 3 tables, 3 references