NCJ Number
58185
Journal
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (APRIL 1970) Pages: 151-160
Date Published
1970
Length
10 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A STUDY ARE PRESENTED TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS THAT AGE STRUCTURE AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNT FOR THE EXCESS OF NEGRO OVER WHITE CRIME RATES.
Abstract
OBTAINING DATA FROM THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT, A SAMPLE WAS TAKEN OF ALL PERSONS ARRESTED IN STAMFORD, CONN., FROM 1959 TO 1961 (3,717 ARRESTS). SUBJECTS WERE 16 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND WERE CHARGED WITH OFFENSES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLE LAW VIOLATIONS. USING OCCUPATION AS AN INDICATOR OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, CRIME RATES WERE COMPUTED FOR MALES AND FEMALES SEPARATELY FOR EACH AGE AND OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY. NEGRO RATES WERE THAN STANDARDIZED TO THOSE EXPECTED IF THE NEGRO AGE AND OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURES WERE THE SAME AS THOSE OF WHITES, UNDER THE ASSUMPTION OF CONSTANT NEGRO RATES FOR EACH AGE AND OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY. DESPITE THEIR LIMITATIONS, THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY SHOW THAT THE DISPROPORTIONATE CONCENTRATION OF NEGROES IN THE LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STRATA AND IN THE YOUNGER AGE CATEGORIES OF THE UNITED STATES ACCOUNT FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE EXCESS OF THE NEGRO OVER THE WHITE CRIME RATE. HOWEVER, STANDARDIZATION OF OFFENSE RATES FOR SPECIFIC OFFENSES BY OCCUPATION, AND ESPECIALLY BY AGE, DOES NOT RESULT IN EQUAL REDUCTIONS IN RATES FOR ALL OFFENSES. FURTHER STUDIES SHOULD BE CONDUCTED, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT AGE AND OCCUPATION VARIABLES, OF CRIME RATE COMPARISONS. FOOTNOTES AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (LWM)